Watch Out for Fireballs!

Tiny pixels, books that can only be read in the dark, crows! These are only some of ghoulish terrors that one may find in The Last Door - Season 1. Before Blasphemous, The Game Kitchen showed us their vision of a lo-fi point and click adventure game where we play the role of a Lovecraftian protagonist, poking at the corners of the world we do not yet understand. Join us, won't you?

Listener project highlight: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/daishugars/halflight-gothic-horror-role-playing

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Oh, what ridiculous adventures are Mac and Charlie getting into this time? Down at the bottom of the ocean, there are ships to salvage and eldritch monstrosities to gaze upon. Join us as we take a journey down, deep, deep into the sea.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We had so many questions we wanted to get to, we spilled them again. Let's do our best!

Bomberman: The Movie Trailer

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Fable is the story... nay, the legend of Peter Molyneux and his ability to sell a pocket full of dreams. Does Fable stack up the great RPGs of it's day? Short answer, no.

Unlock the full episode at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Wouldn't it be nice to run around and pretend like you had the superpowers you always read about in comic books? City of Heroes takes the pen and paper daydreams of children and translates them to a much-beloved cult MMO. Does it stand the test of time? Or are you better off just fucking around with the character creator?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Bomberman is simple, and Bomberman is forever… even if his heyday as the mainstay of multiplayer party games is mostly in the past. This week’s episode is a look at the series as a whole, with particular attention toward Super Bomberman 2, the height of the series on SNES. This episode will self destruct after you listen to it.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Games. Do they teach you things? What do they teach you? Let's find out.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The final game of the epic Quintet Quartet.

Full episode available exclusively to our patrons at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

You missed.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

You have a 95% chance to enjoy this episode.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This strange baseball game gives us a very loose and runny WOFF. More of a desert WOFF, if you will.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It is indescribable, unfortunately.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Let's just do something with rocket launchers again.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

If you thought the bits from from the first half were exhausting, just wait until you meet Flavio.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

More like Paper Mario: The Thousand Word Dialogue Box.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Are we adult enough to admit that opinions can change?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Finally, a Zelda game where I can lease my equipment.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

And a Die Augen Der Welt to you as well!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Try as you might, he will suffer.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This month, we discuss which games would be good entry points for people who are looking to start enjoying games, or people who are coming back to the hobby after a long hiatus. We also answer your questions, read your responses to May's games, and reveal what games are coming up on the show.

June Games:

• The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
• Project Snowblind
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds ## July Games:
• Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (two parts)
• Quake

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

To find this podcast description, please turn to page 34 in the manual.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We actually lose track of how many realms there are, exactly.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Create, evolve and live the power fantasy of being a world killing disease.

Guest Ending is a piece of fan music for Gary's novel Atomic! Music by Swordquest

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

A good game bogged down by infuriating Ubisoft style decisions.

This week's theme song brought to us by MegaMatt

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Is it better to have? Or to hold?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Well, we took a left at Donkey Kong Country... And then a right at Dream Land... And now we're here.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's just like we're back in King's Field.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Capoeira.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Places! How do you get there? What are you thinking when you do it? We have to get to point B!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

In some ways, Miles is the Ultimate Spider-Man.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

There is a room, but also its kind of not a room because of how big it is. Also, the definition of "room" is thrown completely out the door.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

I didn't think it get tore any downer, but here we are.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Imagine the platonic ideal of a video game.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It takes about an age of Empires to play through this entire strategy classic.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

I assure you, there is nothing sinister about this island full of ponies.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

So. You're a demon, now. How's that going for you?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This is one of the best games of all time. Wipe that smile off your face. This isn't a joke to me.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

I don't get it. It's just the same game over and over and over and over and over and over

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Time to blaspheme. Again!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Unfortunately, they found a darker dungeon.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

You will solve this case, that of the golden idol. It's mysterious and nobody understands. Now it's your job to figure it out.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

If you got the money, honey, I got the time.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Hypnospace Outlaw 1.5. This is a unique and ambitious work. Highly recommend if you are prone to this particular style of meta fiction.

Get the full episode over at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The reapers had a very specific plan for their trap and you fell for it you idiot.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Space Cops!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

I know we put those answers somewhere around here. Just give me a moment to find it.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's bad. But not because it's short. It's bad AND it's short.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's Trevor Time! Not that I'm happy about it. But it's Trevor Time and we all have to live with it.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Who's ready for pistol packing, car jacking and lazy satire?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Propulsive and immediately visually arresting, Sayonara Wild Hearts is a unique action rhythm hybrid that aims to be inviting to new players. Also, Queen Latifah is there.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Why do we make bad things happen to ourselves? A question for the ages. And the topic for this week's dispatch.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Let's hang out with some sad, scary robots in space in this retro horror throwback.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

How many sticks of dynamite do you think it takes to dynamite fish for Cthulhu? Three? Do you think three is enough?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Once again, we choose to forget as we willingly give ourselves Amnesia in this return-to-form for this horror series. Not bad for the fourth entry in the franchise.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's about to get real.

Real Lich.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The 2020 followup to the 2016 mega-hit reboot of DOOM was, like many things in 2020, divisive. It's a fascinating evolution of the DOOM franchise, nevertheless!

Get the full episode by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's like your favorite physical toy! But digital, and you can take it to school! Oh, wait, no, the teacher confiscated that too.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Wait a second... Symphony... Aria... Harmony... those are all music terms! I've solved the code!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Hey folks, this is a quick announcement that's also a bummer.

Earlier in the year we'd said that we planned to return to the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. We submitted a proposal for our panel, and waited, and waited, and waited... only to learn just recently that we'd been rejected.

Without doing a live panel it doesn't make sense for us to spend the money and time to make an appearance at the show. We apologize sincerely if you'd already made plans to attend... Gary will still be around, and it's still a fun show to attend (even if just to see the Retronauts, who will be doing a panel this year).

In the podcast episode attached to this post we talk about what we asked for, and what our plans for live appearances will be. In short, we're looking at attending other shows in other parts of the country. So if you know of any video game expos or conferences, let us know about them, but more importantly, ASK THEM TO BOOK US. Reaching out on social media makes a difference, for real.

We are also looking at doing another Duckfest, if that ends up making sense.
This is a little rough because obviously we have very normal brains and aren't sensitive to rejection at all. But we soldier on, and are grateful for all of your support, which makes these ups and downs easier to weather.

Thanks!
Kole

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

And how does one cut a scene, exactly? With scissors? How preposterous.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This one is not for the faint of heart. This sadistic JRPG attempts to portray a dark, humorous world where your resources are constantly at risk of being taken from you.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Boy, I wonder if they're gonna defeat the evil.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Aye, verily it is time for the fourth Quest of the Dragon.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

A game so funny it decides to tell you where to laugh.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

CRPGs. They're dense, they're chunky. How do I fit myself into one?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Come on, everybody! Zelda to the beat!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Dark _E_co.

Dark _I_co?

Dark Yekko?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Depending on how you count it, you've either killed hundreds of people in Burnout Paradise, or no one. Because there are no people anywhere.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Goombas. Zombies. Speed bumps. The enemies that you kill all the time, and a lot of them. Some of them are good! Which ones!?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Wow, a Resident Evil 4 remake. What will they think of next?

Unlock the full version of this episode by becoming a member of our Patreon at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

A SUPER PAINTER NAMED ANDREAS

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Yeah! Fuck yeah! Take that, you shit demon! Hahahahaha! Blood and guts! Hahahahaha!

Ahem.

This game did something to me.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

7 out of 10. Quite a remarkable number really. Not big enough to be 8, not small enough to be 6, definitely too large to be 5, but if could be 9 if you squint in a certain light.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Nobody saw Bowser's Fury coming. What could have been just a little extra something to sweeten the pot on another port from the Wii U ended up being a fully-featured and inventive 3D Mario game. It's snack-sized and packed with new ideas, chief among them being the Fury Bowser kaiju fights. But also classic course-based Mario challenges set in an open world. We dig it, and we think you'll dig it too.

This is a preview of a premium episode! To hear the full version, become a member over at our Patreon.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

There once was a Bard from Nantucket

Who

Whom...

Look, I didn't write the limmerick. Get off my ass.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Wow, maybe Capitalism is bad, actually?

In this gorgeously present point-and-click adventure game, you must solve the mystery of who murdered hope.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

When? Why? How? What? All this and more on this week's Questions Only WOFF.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

In this spiritual successor to Until Dawn, we see if old.... DOGS can learn new tricks.

Get it? Dogs? Because it's about werewolves.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's a sexy time travel mystery.

Oh, no, apparently it's just a time travel mystery.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's a soulslike. It's moe. It's a moe soulslike.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

What makes a Good Level? You know, with capital letters?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It turns out we can only play on Medium graphics settings. Is there any meat on these memetic bones? Find out on this week's WOFF where the boys contemplate the nature of a crysis.

Get the unlocked version of this episode and many more by subscribing to our Patreon.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

You might be surprised, but this game is mostly about sneaking around and killing people.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Fulfilling every child's dream of having an empty island filled with ticket arcade machines and robots you can shoot fireworks at.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Well, Cuphead and his pal Mug Man, they like to roll the dice. By chance, they came 'pon the Devil's game, and gosh, they paid the price.

This immacutely aesthetic as fuck run-n-gun shooter iinspired by 30s pre-Disney animation is a sight to behold. But is it a good game? Mostly yes!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

I just know I'm going to need those full heal elixirs for the end boss.

Right?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's time to sort of rocks and make friends with some big fish. I wonder what Bladderfish taste like.

This is a preview of February's premium episode. Hear the whole thing by backing us at the $5+ tier at patreon.com/duckfeedtv, and also get access to every premium WOFF! we've done!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

A different interpretation of translating a tabletop-lite system into a video game context. Story-heavy, mechanics driven by a sense of struggle, but not overwhelming despair. Build a new life yourself and those you meet and remember who your allies are.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

There's an angel named Lucah, and a tortured dream world. This is an emotional and heartfelt project that relies on you wanting to finish the game multiple times to see the full story. The structure's a bit poison, but come and check out the neat things it does do. It's an interesting one!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

What Remains of Edith Finch? made people things, and the boys take their action figures and make them fight to decide if they like Indie Games or AAA Games better.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Hades is one of our most-requested games of all time. It struck a chord with tons of people when it released, drawing in gamers who had never given action roguelikes a chance before. With its snappy combat and charismatic takes on the Greek gods, it's hard to blame people for loving it. But how does it stand up to other roguelites, a diverse field with tons of heavy hitters?

This week's highlighted project is "Clarion", an upcoming novel by author Nina Dunnic. Check out her work at ninadunic.com!

This is a preview of January's premium episode. Hear the whole thing by backing us at the $5+ tier at patreon.com/duckfeedtv, and also get access to every premium WOFF! we've done!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you Abe!

It's time to circle strafe the Monstrous Manual with Heretic! This Doom Clone has a lot of subtle improvements that make it more than just Doom with Wands. Listen in to find out more!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We spend a lot of time talking about the need for the video game equivalent of short story collections, and What remains of Edith Finch is about as close to that as we've gotten so far. Edith is returning to her long-abandoned home to learn about her family's curse... which has resulted in the tragic, unfortunate, and sometimes hilarious deaths of everyone related to her. Each of the stories is its own interactive vignette, casting us into a magically realistic tale to see what exactly happened, and what may be in store for Edith herself.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We answer your questions! We discuss Duckstream! We read your responses! What more could you want?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Hong Kong is revealing some deeper truths to our group of Shadowrunners, as we search for the truth about what happened to Raymond Black and try to learn what's amiss with the Walled City. We pick up in the middle section of the game, as we're taking on jobs to keep the lights on and give Auntie Cheng time to work. Shadowrun: Hong Kong continues to be a delightful short story collection of fun, tactical missions that uses its setting to great effect.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

"Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good" month continues with the slightly worse but worthy follow up to the masterpiece Shadowrun Dragonfall. We've arrived in Hong Kong at the request of our adopted father but not all is what it seems.

Please join us at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week continues the Last Castoff's journey, as they continue seeking out answers for what the Changing God was up to with his resonance chamber... The one we crashed into like a big ol' meteor. We head through the Valley of Dead Heroes and the Sanctuary at Miel Avest before ending up at The Bloom, a city within a dimension-spanning organism.

We talk about the rest of the game, highlighting as many side quests as we found, and end up discussing how this game measures up to its predecessor. Is it fair to hold anything to the standard set by Planescape: Torment? Does treating that game as unassailable mean that CRPG storytelling peaked in 1999? Listen to find out!

This week's highlighted project is Coming Out With Lauren and Nicole, a podcast that hosts various LGBT+ folks to hear their coming out stories, using them as a launch pad for discussions on various related issues. Check them out!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

What is the value of one game?

There are big shoes to fill and then there are comically huge shoes that can be made into houses for little old ladies. That was the job of Tides of Numenera, an excellent short story compilation that fails to capture the emotional resonance of it's predecessor. Here us talk about the generalities and Sagus Cliffs in this episode before hitting the end game next week!

This episode is brought to you by Duckstream! duckfeed.tv/duckstream

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We had intended to make this month's topic VR, but instead we said almost everything we wanted to say during the Half-Life: Alyx episode. So, instead, we take even more of your questions before reading your thoughts about Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, SUPERHOT, and Half-Life: Alyx.

This episode's highlighted project is Waystar Corncob, a podcast that's about both I Think You Should Leave and Succession. And Gary was on a recent episode!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The Watch Out For Fireballs has been silent on the topic of The Half Life for a while now but it's time to wake up and smell the ashes! (I know this is mixing vortigaunt and g-man speak, and I don't care!)

Half Life Alyx is our first major foray into VR and not likely to be our last. Alyx is a great game for this because it's dedicated to being a full franchise entry, a return to form, with few compromises. Though it's a little long and your experience will likely vary (that's the nature of VR), this game is a breath of fresh air.

Thank you Elliot!

If you want to hear the full episode, join us at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week we sit down to talk about the most innovative shooter we've played in years. Our unnamed protagonist receives a weird program called superhot.exe, and when he launches it he connects to a very strange first person shooter where time only moves when the player moves. As we (and he) play this game, the hooks set in, and a larger conspiracy reveals itself.

SUPERHOT is a small game with a big impact, a massive indie success that takes the FPS genre and upends it by breaking it down into component parts and changing the way they move. It's absolutely worth your time. We also talk a bit about the related works SUPERHOT VR and SUPERHOT: Mind Control Delete.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

When they say nobody asked for this, that's Gary Butterfield erasure. I asked for this. I exist!

I mean, sure, Adam Jensen is a pretty tough pill to swallow. He shaves his beard in an extremely obnoxious way. Further, this is clearly the middle chapter of a prequel trilogy, which might be the most direct recipe for an unimportant narrative. However....however....

All of the above, plus a regrettable marketing campaign, basically eclipsed the entire conversation about this immersive sim that plays incredibly well. This number is worth your time for level design alone. Hear us talk about why.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We've each had a Steam Deck for about a month, and we feel comfortable reporting... It's pretty great! This week's Topic has us discussing the Steam Deck in general, and how one should get into PC gaming in 2022. We also read your responses to October's games, which are Devotion, Strangeland, and the Evil Within 2.

November's Games:

• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
• SUPERHOT
• Half-Life: Alyx

December's Games:

• Torment: Tides of Numenera (two parts)
• Shadowrun: Hong Kong (two parts)
• Arcade Special 3 (for premium members)

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Warning: Fluid chat!

It's sort of like limbo, in that you're seeing how low you can go but instead seeing how divorced a grizzled dadtagonist can get.

This is a good ass game despite a nonsense story. The biggest issue is it throws away it's biggest strength half way through, pulling you out of the genuinely innovative semi open world stealth and into a series of MindRealms(tm). Still, the play is the thing, and the play is good.

Note: This is a preview! Hear the whole version, and hundreds of other exclusive shows, at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

An unnamed man wakes up outside of a macabre circus, and he must set about learning why he is there. This classic-style point and click adventure game tells a pretty standard psychological horror story with a lot of allusions and metaphor, which isn't going to be everyone's favorite thing. However, there is tons of great horror imagery and a few very rewarding puzzles to try to tackle.

Our highlighted project this week is Sinclair Lore, a YouTube channel run by our friends Sin and Sophie, where they talk about Bloodborne, Souls, and Elden Ring lore. Check them out!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

(Cryptkeeper Voice)

Spooky month begins with the ultimate heebie jeebie, a real Boo-riffic blunder! So buckle up boils and ghouls and non die-scary siblings alike.

*Play Devotion before listening to this macabre tale of goof'em ups. Seriously, it's one of the best games we've done for the show and it's only 3 hours long. It's Silent Hill 2 tier. *

Until next grime, fiends! BWahahahahahaha

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We've narrowed down some of our distaste for certain popular games, especially from the past: they were made for kids. And kids' media can be sublime! But what makes a piece of kids' media, game or not, good or bad? What turns us off? How do they approach issues of ethics or morality? How much do they condescend?

We also answer your questions and read your responses to September's games: BugSnax, Metal Gear Solid V, and Carrion.

October's games are:

• Devotion
• Strangeland
• The Evil Within 2

November's games are:

• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
• Superhot
• Half-Life: Alyx

This week's highlighted creator is an upcoming experimental RPG called Purgatory Dungeoneer, which you can wishlist on Steam today.

If you are a marginalized creator (non-cis, non-straight, non-white) you can submit your project for highlighting by emailing [email protected]

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

How far can an excellent premise carry a game? Looks like it's more than 2 hours but less than 5. Carrion has an unbeatable premise, a hall of fame premise, and aesthetics to back it up. Why on earth is it not more fun to play? Listen and find out!

This is the preview version of this episode. If you want to hear the full episode, and many, many more, join us at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Venom Snake still has some fights to fight, as we pick up Skull Face's trail in Afghanistan to experience the majority of what the Phantom Pain has to offer. As a genuine heads up, this episode might not be for you if you adore this game or Hideo Kojima's whole vibe. We clown on things while gushing about the play, which some people take us as completely hating the whole experience. If you will take that personally then please consider yourself forewarned.

Thanks again to our executive producer Jade!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you Jade!

What do you do when there's a Kojima about? What do you do when a game has some of the best stealth action in video games, one of the most satisfying loops in video games, but punctuates it with some of the worst boss fights and clumsy exposition and plotting? It's a complicated game that gives us complicated feelings! Listen in if you want to hear us wrestle with Kojima's legacy, both as critics and as one current and one former fan.

And if you want to support marginalized creators, check out Nine Noir Lives! A new point and click adventure game! https://www.nnlgame.com/

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Bugsnax is a cute indie that caught a lot of attention with its catchy theme song, but did you know there's a whole game behind that song? We play this cute combination of Pokemon Snap and Ape Escape, navigating Snaktooth Island and catching bugs who happen to be snacks. The goal? To help the townspeople and learn the truth of what's really happening on this island, with these snacks who happen to be bugs.

A big thanks to Cody for executive producing this episode!

This week's highlight is Rod Symba, a musical artist who is looking to start scoring indie games. Check them out over at Instagram!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We answer your questions, read your responses to August's games, and spend some time talking about the sorts of places that show up in games, and what we'd like to see more of, before announcing our slate for the best month of the year, October.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Wario is one of Nintendo's secret best weapons. As "the opposite of Mario" he is an aesthetic triumph, indulging in every vice and drawing us in with his shamelessness. And for a while, he was the star of his own series of puzzle platformers on Nintendo portable systems. Wario Land 4 is an odd duck in that sub-series, with a more action-oriented presentation that doesn't leave the puzzles behind. And best of all? It hardly repeats itself, giving the player a buffet of unique visual and gameplay concepts. It's hard to recommend against this one.

This is a premium episode, which means the full version is available for our Patrons over at our Patreon page.

This week's highlight project is HuggableHipster, a video creator and game studio head who does video game let's plays and deep dives on YouTube. Here's her site, and here's the channel. Enjoy!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Basch, Balthier, Ashe, Fran, and two associates continue their quest for magic rocks! Will the princess use the rocks or smash the rocks? Find out as we continue our exploration of this world spanning adventure. Though the dungeons take a wet fart at the end, the dialogue and presentation continue to be first in class.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The land of Ivalice is a land in constant turmoil, and with Final Fantasy XII we find ourselves caught in the midst of a larger struggle that is obliterating the borderlands between two massive empires. This is how the stage is set for the twelfth entry in the Final Fantasy series, the first mainline entry of the series to get really weird with it.

This episode concerns itself primarily with the game's many new mechanics, and a general discussion of how they hang together. We then talk about the intro to the game, covering everything up through the mines on Bhujerba.

Big thanks to Nat for executive producing this episode.

Additionally, we would like to thank the creator we highlight this episode, Victoria, and her podcast We Happen to Be Trans, a pop culture podcast that, incidentally, is hosted by three trans women. Victoria is also part of a streaming collective called Transvengers which hosts Q&As for people curious about various aspects of LGBTQ+ life.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Saving. When can you do it? When should you be able to do it? How does it change the rhythm of games? Also, man, what a fucking ripoff memory cards were.

We also answer your questions, announce September's games, and A BRAND NEW SHOW ON THE NETWORK.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Jesse Faden has walked a rough road, one that leads up to the door of a secret government agency headquartered in a building that not everyone can see. It's the Federal Bureau of Control, they may have her brother held captive, and they are definitely overrun by a malignant interdimensional force.

This feels like a culmination of a lot of what Remedy has been working toward, and they achieved it by working against their strengths. Instead of a cinematic, on-rails narrative, Control lives in the details of its world and the SCP-like phenomena that fill it. And the combat isn't half bad... but it does wear out its welcome pretty fast.

Big thanks to Noel for executive producing this episode!

Also, check out this week's highlighted creation, An Ode to the End a podcast series of short transmissions from a number of possible apocalypses.

This is a preview of the full episode. You can hear the whole thing by becoming a Patron!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's impossible to talk about some games objectively. Castlevania 2 has a lot of problems but unbeatable atmosphere for the NES, and the best soundtrack in the series (fight me), makes that go down oh so smooth. Let's get to collectin' ribs!

We'd also like to direct your attention to the Totally Trans Podcast Network which is an ongoing podcast about the search for the trans media canon.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

In the end, it was a story about family. In the beginning, too. It was really all a story about family. Children of Morta was made as an attempt to marry a roguelike game structure to a fixed, detailed story... and it works. The Bergsons are a tight-knit family who live in the shadow of Mount Morta, and they are charged with being Guardians of all the land. When Corruption starts appearing, everyone in the clan pitches in, with most venturing down into the tunnels and town to stop the crisis.

The individual characters all have their own gimmicks, and while some work better for us than others, we appreciate their presence. But for as much as we like the broad strokes of the concept, the crowd control action RPG gameplay lands a little flat for us. But it might work for you!

Big thanks to this episodes executive producer Julia for getting us to play this neat little game.

This episode is also our first whack at promoting smaller projects from diverse listeners. So check out Teo and the Cosmic Neighborhood, a Brazillian brother and sister pop band with influences from bossa nova and video game music. Check out their sweet animated music videos on their YouTube page.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Do games stand up to editing the same way other works do? How is editing used in games? Could they stand more editing? The obvious Duckfeed answer is "yeah." Hear us explain why! And answer your questions, read your responses to June's games, and generally goof it up.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We knew right after its release that Vampyr would be a WOFF! game. An RPG that cites Bloodlines as an inspiration, made by a smaller studio, with a great premise and very high highs that are unfortunately compromised by some very low lows. This bore out on our playthrough for the show. Jonathan Reid, the only vampire doctor in fiction, sets out to try and stop a horrifying epidemic in 1918 London, and learns that the disease is intricately related to the vampiric underground in the city. We don't end up loving the game, but we admire it.

Thanks so much to Jack for executive producing this episode!

This is a sample of the full episode. To hear the entire thing, become a Patron!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

If you have even a mild interest in old games, your critical acumen will always be caught up in the tension between historical import and modern playability. Few games stress that dissonance more than Another World, which combines an unbeatable atmosphere and tremendous influence with some very outmoded game design. Is it worth taking the plunge? Listen in, buddy!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The world is waiting to be reborn, and it's waiting for you. Terranigma is probably Quintet's grandest statement on its pet themes... an action RPG that purports to be about the duality of creation and destruction. Over the course of a playthrough you raise the continents, restore the wildlife, bring humanity to its highest peak, and break the cycle of fate to stop its ultimate destruction.

Is the game perfect? Not hardly. But it's got a unique tone and it improves on its predecessors' combat enough to make it one of the best SNES games out there.

Big thanks to Hello for executive producing this episode, and happy birthday to Séan!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Sometimes you just want to pick up an entire tanker truck and surf on it into a bunch of SWAT team guys, then rip a car in half and pound a tank with it, you know? This early high point in the sketchy history of Super Hero games isn't without its flaws (most of its flaws start with "M" and rhyme with missile) but it's got a lot to love about it too. Join us as we return to the era where holding R1 to run made sense.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week we talk about the many reasons to replay a game, including some psychological ones, and why you should give yourself permission to take a warm bath in the familiar. We also read your responses to May's games: The Beginner's Guide, Teardown, and Max Payne 3.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Poor Max. Poor sad, hyper competent timelord Max.

Our man is in Brazil this time, playing the patsy and killing more people than most video game protagonists do in a lifetime. When Rockstar took over the franchise, fans feared that they would ruin this classic series. They were half right, turns out, as bolting a cover system onto the breach and clear pace of Max Payne has damaged the pacing. So did adding a truly criminal number of cutscenes. There are moments of thrilling action and fun, and a genuinely interesting tale to be found here, but as fans of the first game, we're disappointed. Listen in to hear why!

This is the preview version of this episode. If you'd like to hear the whole thing, join us at www.patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Teardown is an extremely good game. Don't expect a meaningful story or even a huge amount of variety, but DO expect a lot of freedom and a lot of destruction. You're a criminal who takes on jobs to steal, destroy, and commit fraud across several sandbox-style maps made of physics-modeled voxels. The majority of missions are tense heists where you spend the first part meticulously planning your routes, and the second part just barely managing to escape in time. Like the best games, it's about the simultaneous importance and folly of planning, and you've gotta do yourself a favor and play it.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

In 2022, you can play a video game about almost anything. So why is it most games are about how friends are good and honor is nice? Can robots feel? Been there, done that.

The Beginner's Guide is a follow up to the wildly successful (and hilarious) The Stanley Parable dares to ask deeper and more personal questions about art and criticism. It's thematically rich and textually complex. Viva!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

In lieu of a topic, we read as many of your Chuck E. Cheese memories as we can. We also do the Q&A, and read your responses to April's games.

As a reminder, the Early Release feed will be going away at the beginning of May. Keep your eye on the Patreon page for information about where to get your audio when that happens.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Kill everyone on Reddit Island Fyrefest! Using superpowers and time travel. What a pitch!

It's no secret we're big fans of Arkane, which makes Deathloop exceedingly interesting in both it's triumphs and failures. The apotheosis of density in level design saddled with awkward invasion mechanics from Dark Souls. A timeloop element that works wonderfully in terms of narrative but hampers the pace of play. Deathloop is a game with incredibly high highs but also low lows. Take and listen and see.

This is the preview version of this episode. If you'd like to hear the entire thing, join us on Patreon! Patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Gather 'round the stage birthday boys and girls! It's time for a special episode about what for some will be a fond childhood memory, and for others will be a resounding horror: Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz Pizza. A product of the arcade boom in the late 70s, these combination pizza parlor / arcade / entertainment centers were a place where childhood could be embraced. We look at the history of the dueling companies, clown on the characters, and share our own memories of the place.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you Randall! Check out Crashcoral.com! (pw: crashcoral).

Oh, a cult simulator/management game with heavy lovecraftian elements, striking minimalist art, and a roguelike structure. Did someone leave this under a box with a stick tied to a string, trying to trap both Gary and Kole?

Not so fast. The Shrouded Isle has some potential and some genuinely good aesthetics, but the game is so barebones and numbers based as to pose an existential question: how much flavor, depth, and context do games actually need to be successful?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week we talk about a new spectrum on which we can analyze games: is it prescriptive, or is it permissive? Does it force you to conform to its demands, or does it say "yes" to the way you try to meet its challenges? This has been bubbling up for a while, and it was satisfying to talk about it.

We also answer your questions and read your responses to March's games.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

TEENS! TEENS! TEENS!

No, it's not some sort of horrible chant, it's what we're killin. Hop in.

Until Dawn showed how you can take steady principles of narrative adventure games such as The Walking Dead, or, shudder, Indigo Prophecy, and evolve them into something new and fun on its own. Very fun performances, a twisty plot, and appropriate interactivity make this one of, if not the, best "interactive movie" in games. Give it a listen!

Thank you to Dr. When!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Quest Questingson conquers all of the continents of Continentia in this foundational strategy game. The king's sceptre has gone missing, and as a result both he and the kingdom itself are falling into ruin. It's up to you to track down all of the villains who conspired to steal the sceptre, recover the artifact itself, and save the day. This is a very basic strategy game, which is reflective of the time that it came out, but there are charms to its gameplay loop, and you can't help but smile at all of the Monster Dance Parties you destroy.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Nintendo is a company that is sometimes too in love with it's own history. But sometimes, that love bears beautiful results. This creative lil nugget functions as a reader's digest version of some of the best games on the NES, as well as a fun meta toy, where elements are mixed and matched. Underrated gem!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

You wake up in a cabin and you're playing a dangerous game. Sacrifices must be made. And the only way forward is to play your cards right. That's about all we can say about Inscryption, an ambitious and wide-ranging card game by Daniel Mullins, the creator of Pony Island. If we gave too much detail right now we would spoil it, which we don't want to do, since it's a great introduction to deck building games, even if there are some... inconsistencies.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We answer your questions, discuss GOTY discourse, read your responses to February's games and announce April's docket.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The world's gone to shit, and the only way to stay alive is to work together. You start State of Decay playing a man named Marcus, but very quickly you gain access to a whole settlement full of simulated survivors, and are given the goal of building and stocking a home by breaking, entering, and scavenging... all while fighting off hordes of the undead. The management sim elements are a little too light, and the story is rushed and unfinished, but this is still the consummate B-game and we recommend you give it a shot.

This is a preview of the full episode. To hear the rest, just back us at our Patreon. You get access to all of the other premium episodes, plus a whole bunch of other shows too!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thanks Abe!

Is it metal? It's metal. It's undeniably badass in a way that is extremely appealing to our skeleton loving souls. The game itself is a pretty frustrating and dated RTS but our eyes are open to the coolness of the Warhammer world.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This game reminds me of a puzzle. About 120 of them, to be exact. You could be forgiven for thinking that Professor Layton existed before his debut game on the Nintendo DS. The whole series has such a strong aesthetic and vibe that it feels like a European cartoon that you just never heard about.

But no, this was created whole cloth as a way to adapt a series of Japanese brain teaser books into video game form. While the story beats are ludicrous, and not all of the puzzles work, it's hard to be entirely mad at this quaint and amusing DS game.

Thanks to William for executive producing this episode!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Are games too long? 500 hours? What does that mean, Dying Light 2?

Also, we answer your questions and read your responses to January's games before announcing February's CROP.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Charles Reed enters a waking nightmare to try and end his sleeping nightmares. That's the opening of The Sinking City, an open world detective game by Frogwares, the Sherlock Holmes people. However, this has a distinctly horrific flavor, pulling in gods and elements of the Cthulhu Mythos. But while the story and mystery are good, does the repetitive and simplistic play support it?

A huge thanks to Johnathan for sponsoring this episode!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you Ryan!
Appealing to young horny gamers everywhere by putting a demon in your head that offers to suck you off if you do her evil bidding: Not that far off from the actual plot of DMoMM. Isn't that wild? This jank fest from one of our all time favorite developers is certainly a weird one, but there's charm in them thar hills. And good kicks.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We start the new year with an old classic, covering Super Mario Bros. 3. This was Nintendo's biggest effort on the NES, and it deserves its reputation. This episode concerns itself with comparing and contrasting Mario 3 with the rest of the series, talking about the things it introduces, and hitting the design principles of each of the game's eight worlds.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Questions get answers, responses get read, games get announced, and Duckstream gets discussed.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week's premium episode takes us to the biggest DLC pack for Fallout 4, Far Harbor. A missing person's case brings us to an island torn in three pieces, split among factions who can barely tolerate each other, with a buried secret that might bring the whole place tumbling down. This DLC is the best story content in Fallout 4 by far, and it's go a great horror atmosphere that we couldn't wait to talk about.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's all over but the crying. And the DLC. And the DLC next week.

We continue our way through the side quests of the wastes before visiting the first couple of story dlcs for this massive game.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week, we finish talking about the main quest of Fallout 4 and talk about the various faction side quests. Next week we'll get in-depth on the rest of the side quests and start talking a bit about the DLC.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Why does the sun go on shining? Why does the sea rush to shore? Don't they know it's the end of the world because you don't love me anymore?

We begin our discussion of Fallout 4 with beefy generalities and discussion of the first act of the game. Fallout 4 is a big beautiful mess that's simultaneously a bad Fallout game and the best Bethesda game. On the balance, we're more into how its crafting, exploration, and settlement management systems tie together than we're turned off by a truly dogshit character build and dialogue system. Join us, as we make our case.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This month's Dispatch episode features a discussion of mapping systems in games, as part of a broader discussion about friction that used to be charming but is now kind of tedious. We also read your responses about Left 4 Dead 2, Stardew Valley, and Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

You givin' me orders?

Wings of Liberty and Starcraft 2 in general is the last gasp of a certain kind of RTS and a certain kind of Blizzard game. The last expression of their dumb as nails plotting and finely tuned gameplay outside of mmos and cardgames. This game may be stacked to the gills with story cliches, but it dispenses gamertreats with a consistency almost unmatched, which makes it worth your time, if not your money. What with the monsterism at blizzard.

Hear the full episode at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week go back to basics by starting up a brutal one-man factory farm in Stardew Valley. This indie successor to Harvest Moon is a phenomenon, with tons of people succumbing to the wide variety of tasks and its charming aesthetic. In fact, the combination of all of the elements is so much greater than the sum of its parts that it manages to make us enjoy certain gameplay elements we wouldn't like in other games. Listen in to hear about life on the farm, or in the mines, or on the docks, or...
Thanks, Zack!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Everyone has Green Flu Fever, or Green Fever Flu. Something like that. And it's a hard time in the big easy for 4 charismatic goofballs, shootin' and slashin' their way through a horde of zombies and equally charismatic "Special Infected." This incredibly generous game encapsulates the first entry in the series, and proves an excellent example of Valve at their finest, both in terms of design and after launch support. It's the rare competitive game that can get two beta boix like us to sit up and take notice, and it remains extremely playable more than a decade after release.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week we answer your questions, read your responses to October's games, and talk about when it's time to let game series die.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you Adam Bucceri! Check out their game, Enter the Survival Horror, at adam-bucceri.itch.io

Ethan Winters vs Magneto and a hot topic creepy doll? And it's good? What the heck? This direct follow up to RE7 is a love letter to the series, featuring an impressive array of bosses and locations that evoke the series high points. While Ethan Winters remains as compelling as some kind of unintelligent wad of white bread, the cast of colorful weirdos around him defines the game. Check it out!

To hear the full episode, go to patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

A god incubated by pain and hate creates a paradise of blood and rust around it, and that's what Harry Mason must run through to save his daughter. This classic survival horror game didn't just start a series, it influenced the aesthetics of most horror games that came after it. Though the series wouldn't find its legs until Silent Hill 2, this entry is still worth your time, and it's a great deal of fun to talk about.

A special thanks to our executive producer for this episode, Cassie.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you Jeremy!

This is a weird one! En, a member of a hyper capable cult of child somethings tries to revive her dead friend(?) who is also a cube(!) The story, lore, and world-building in this game are really quite great but the play never comes together. Listen in to hear why!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This month's Dispatch episode has us talking about our thoughts on doing ten years of Watch Out for Fireballs! We also answer your questions, and read your responses to Katana Zero, Sonic 2, Singularity, and Darkest Dungeon.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Ruin has come to this podcast network, thanks to Jack!

This is the preview episode about Darkest Dungeon and it's one of the meatiest previews we've ever done. If you want to hear the whole thing, head to www.patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's time crimes right on down the line as we tackle the forgotten 2010 shooter, Singularity. Created by Raven Software right before they were exiled to the Call of Duty mines, it's a fast-paced shooter with ambitious but under-explored time manipulation mechanics. You play as an American special forces soldier investigating a disturbance at an old Soviet military facility called Katorga-12, and by the end of things you could end up with godlike powers.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Listen, there's a lot to talk about here. You could talk about how we've been doing this show for a decade, or about how Sonic exemplifies the tension between freeform arcade gameplay and the slower, more exploratory form of platformers that would ultimately win out in the end, but the real story here is that I need you to imagine a screenshot of a notes app post where I apologize for mixing up the seed drill and the cotton gin in this episode.

Big thanks to Gwen Static for this awesome remix of the theme song!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's rain-soaked, neon-soaked, and blood-soaked. It's Katana Zero, an action game that takes multiple pages from the Hotline Miami book. You play an unnamed contract killer with the unlikely ability to manipulate time, and you're in the middle of a conspiracy that has a lot to do with your sordid past. The play is great, but does the additional emphasis on story work out?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

In this episode we answer your questions, talk about crafting in games, read your responses to August's games, and announce October's games.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week, we set our wayback machines to 1995 to discuss one of the most beloved games of all time. Chrono Trigger was part of a late salvo of 16-bit RPGs that defined a generation of storytelling for people who grew up with it. We have problems with the shallowness of its systems, but its charisma can't be denied.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you Nicholas!

Welcome to the Courtesy Dome where two polite midwesterners sensibly argue whether this game is good or bad. Is it a cool mystery story with a neat aesthetic? Or is it an effectively linear, barely interactive time tax? ONLY YOU CAN DECIDE.

Paradise Killer is an odd duck. Part visual novel, part mystery adventure game, part 3d collectathon platformer? With light dating sim elements. We spoil the whole mystery here, so listener beware!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's the heartwarming tale of two psychopaths who save the world from people more dangerous than even them. Sam is a laid back dog, Max is an impulsive rabbit-thing, and they are classic adventure game protagonists. This episodic adventure game came early in Telltale's life as a studio, when they were attempting to reimagine how to make classic adventure games well after the bottom fell out of the industry. While this season shows some growing pains, it's hard to deny the inherent charm of these characters and this world.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Our mental health meters were running low and we didn't have a topic in us, so we just did a bunch of questions. We also read your responses to July's games before announcing Septembers crop.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Which you can you trust? Prey is a rare creature: an immersive sim that's more like System Shock 2 than Bioshock. You are Morgan Yu, an amnesiac on a space station overrun with shapeshifting monsters, and you have to use everything at your disposal to fight overwhelming odds to stop the threat from reaching Earth. It's a strange game with an ambitious story and unique retro-future aesthetic, and we think you should play it.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you I See Spiders!

We all know defenestrating is one of the coolest things you can do in video games. But what if you could do that... in space? With a near best in class group of gadgets and weapons, In an immersive proc gen ludic playpen with real time pause? You'd get Heat Signature, quietly one of the coolest games we've done for the show. Check it out!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The Stanley Parable is a short game with a lot to say about games. You play as Stanley, an office worker with a pointless job who finds himself being ordered around by an omniscient narrator. By deciding whether or not to obey him, you stumble into stories that critique and explore the nature of choice in games, and choice in real life.

Because this is primarily a comedy game, we recommend playing the Stanley Parable before listening to this episode, because we will ruin the jokes for you.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's rare to be surprised by a sci fi twist, and this AAA action adventure genuinely surprises. Throw in some engaging combat and not even an electronic T-Rex sized barrel of bloat can hold it back.

Thanks Doug!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This month's special topic is a discussion about RPG progression. What kinds of character upgrades are satisfying, which ones aren't, and why has there been a broader trend of games getting more bloated with bad RPG systems?

We also answer your questions, and read your responses to June's games: Hotline Miami, The Witness, and Super Mario 3D World.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

CAT MARIO.

Thanks Joelle!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week we play the opinionated magnum opus of an opinionated creator. The Witness, created by Jonathan Blow, attempts to use puzzles and geometry to change the way you see the world, and create an engine for repeating the "a-ha!" moment over and over again. It ties one hand behind its back by communicating its mechanics in an entirely nonverbal fashion. Does it succeed at its lofty goals? Listen in to find out.

Thanks, Simon!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Do you like hurting people?
Who is leaving messages on your answering machine?
Where are you right now?
Why are we having this conversation?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This month we have a little love fest for strategy guides, talking about the roles they've filled for us over the years, and what scratches that itch for us nowadays. We also answer your questions and read your responses to Hitman 3, RollerCoaster Tycoon, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you Ethan!

We were all teens once. Some of us listen to a lot of mall metal, and some of us end up child soldiers.

MGR Revengance is a goofy bit of juvenilia but despite vestigial stealth elements muddying the waters a bit, it's really fun to play. You mean to tell me this Jack is back?

Hear the whole thing on patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's a management sim with a touch of whimsy and customers who are dumb as rocks. This week we talk about the classic theme park development game RollerCoaster Tycoon, breaking down its systems and talking about how we learned to meet the goals it set for us. And we talk a little about real amusement parks along the way.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Do you belieeeeeeve in life after Providence? One of our favorite characters in games gets a proper send off in a game trilogy that would function as a proper send off for the entire stealth genre. Another collection of fun sandboxes to murder in, another collection of funny situations and the like, and a final chance to embody Mr Bathroom, Hitman 3 is great.

Thank you to Adam Bucceri! Be sure to check out their game here: https://adam-bucceri.itch.io/enter-the-survival-horror

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This month, we settle in for a light topic... how food is depicted in games. We talk about how it can convey the story of a location, or augment a game's mechanics. We also answer your questions and read your responses to April's games.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

You know, there's nothing wrong with an above average fastfood sandwich. Sometimes, your body just craves a pretty good game that does everything decently, while not doing anything exceptionally well, and is over in 5 or 6 hours. That game is Ratchet and Clank, which is a total snack game with some unintentionally hilarious pathos and very satisfying weapon upgrades.

Thank you Sean!

This episode is a PREVIEW! To hear the whole thing, please join us at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The odds are always stacked against a sophomore effort. The original Myst was a gigantic success and had a huge cultural impact, finding fans in unlikely places due to its advanced graphics and leisurely pace. Cyan knocked it out of the park when it came to Riven, though, improving on every aspect of the original Myst, while expanding it and making one of the most challenging puzzle adventure games of all time.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

What a big game! This is part two of our coverage of an expansive and masterful CRPG, Divinity: Original Sin 2. We pick up with Act 2, as we land on the Reaper's Coast and set about learning the ways of the Godwoken. We continue through to the end of the game, covering a frankly unreasonable amount of content in our quest to learn the secrets of the Veil.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

No one listens to more podcasts than the man with many cheeses.

In this crunchy, and charismatic CRPG, you play as the godwoken, someone with the potential to ascend to the divine. Somewhat standard fantasy tropes are enhanced by charming characters, beautiful music, and best in genre tactical gameplay. Listen here as we cover the beefy generalities and Act 1.

Thank you to Jonathan!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Kole and Gary answer your questions, discuss what makes a good tutorial, read your responses to March's games, and announce May!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Talion caught a bad break. Not only did Sauron kill his family in front of him, but he was killed too! And then an elf spirit had the nerve to possess him and send him on a rampage of vengeance across Mordor! What a revolting predicament. This open world game's big hook is the Nemesis system, which supercharges the sandbox with an evolving army of captains and rivals for you to hunt and manipulate. The story is pretty bland, but you can't deny that this is one of the most inventive open world games to come out in a long time.

Thank you, I See Spiders!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you Joe!

You're trapped in an incomplete game, and given the power to rewrite your reality. It sounds amazing, and there are plenty of grace notes, but this game is a bit too messy for its own good, making broad points with broad characters in a way that left us both feeling a bit cold. A standout performance from James Urbaniak can't quite save this ambitious but flawed indie.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The Trauma Center series is one of the more interesting things to come out of Nintendo's love affair with strange control schemes in the DS and Wii era. These "surgery simulators" end up playing more like a cross between a light gun shooter and Rock Band, as you cut into your patients and use a number of surgical tools to solve their problems and keep them alive. Less successful is the wrapping story, about impossibly young doctors and medical terrorists who inject people with lung bugs.

Thanks, Tara, for executive producing this episode!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This month's Dispatch topic is what we're calling "Retro Peril", or the idea that playing a newer entry in a genre would stop you from enjoying classic entries if you went back to revisit them. Would it be impossible to find joy in Torment if you got used to the quality of life improvements in Disco Elysium?

We also answer your questions, and read your responses to February's games.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The bad news is you only have 22 minutes. The good news is, you have as many 22 minutes as you need. Outer Wilds is a plucky, optimistic game about horrifying circumstances. You stand alone in the footsteps of an ancient civilization, working hard to figure out why your solar system keeps exploding. To do this, you have to fly from planet to planet and navigate hostile conditions, learning as much as you can on each loop. The mechanics may or may not work for you, but the tone and the ending are best in class.

Thank you Fenreliania for producing this episode!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

When it comes to cordyceps, we want some more-dyceps! Kole and Gary tackle what might be the most acclaimed video game in history. Despite having some issues with story and gameplay integration, this cinematic genre piece is fun and affecting.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week continues out accidental theme of covering Roguelites on the show, as we chug-a-lug through Monster Train. It's a deck builder with strong elements of strategy games, as you summon monsters and cast spells to protect a train that's carrying Hell's last hope. That's right, angels are the bad guys. This game is really fun, and another departure from the kinds of things we normally cover on WOFF!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

In this episode, we answer your questions, we talk about our podcast personas and where our lines are, and we read your responses to January's games before announcing what we have coming in March.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Tommy Vercetti was sent down south to make some money for the mob, and he chose to build an empire instead. The year is 1986 and nothing is off limits whatsoever. No game that came out after Grand Theft Auto III or Vice City would be the same, but sometimes it's hard to go back to the early days of a movement. We talk about what it felt like to play Vice City back in the day, and re-examine its story missions under a more critical light... but at least we can all agree about the soundtrack.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you Lucian!

Lock and load! We've only dabbled in Rogue-lights for the show but that changes NOW with this tough as nails twin stick shooter with charm, humor, and grace notes to spare.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Nothing good happens on boats. At least, that's the conclusion we came to after thoroughly exploring the Obra Dinn and the fates of its unfortunate occupants. This mystery game, developed by Lucas Pope as a followup to Papers, Please, is unlike most other games out there. And while we have a few quibbles here and there, this game is up there on the list of the best things we've covered on this show.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

What better way to end 2020 than to talk about fail states?

We also answer your questions and read your responses to December's games, as well as announce what we're doing in February.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We return to the Forgotten Realms, and the kingdom of tappa tappa tappa to talk about this console hack-n-slash game. You play as an upstart adventurer who is mugged in Baldur's Gate, which draws you into an evil conspiracy involving extraplanar forces. But of course, you're just here to make numbers go up.

This is a preview of a premium episode. To hear the whole thing, back us on Patreon!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thanks Mitch and thank you everyone for sticking with us this long!

We drag the end of Dragon Age 2 before visiting the mostly good but sometimes just alright DLCs. Act 3 of Dragon Age 2: a triumph of milky useless centrism.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week, we continue our coverage of Dragon Age 2 by moving on to Chapter 2. Hawke and company have hit it big after three years of living in Kirkwall, but the city's problems are only getting worse. We spend this chapter navigating a difficult political and ethical conflict with the Qunari, whose presence is causing even more unrest than Kirkwall is used to.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Our love for the outliers in big games series continues with this look at Dragon Age 2. Changing the scope from Dragon Age 1 was a gamble that paid off, among some others that did not. Kole and Gary discuss generalities and Act 1 of this underrated game.
Thanks to Mitch!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

On this month's Dispatch episode, we talk about Spoilers. Why don't they bother us? What benefit scan strategically spoiling things for yourself bring? What's a sensible spoiler policy for podcasts like ours?

We also answer your questions, read your responses to No One Lives Forever, Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons, and Marathon 2: Durandal.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

What was Bungie up to before they bounced back with Halo? Marathon, another sci-fi shooter that was a foundational game for Macintosh gamers. Its graphics were well ahead of the times, and the story is intricate even by today's standards... but we find it a little tough to swallow, given how the antiquated level and encounter design makes the game a bit of a struggle to play.

This episode is a preview of a premium release. You can hear the whole thing by backing us at Patreon.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thanks David!

This goofy episode on this ambitious, but somewhat tedious, SNES era simulation game was a balm to record on election day, and we hope it's a balm for you to hear. Follow Joao as he travels from Ibiza to Allentown in search of Atlantis.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Cate Archer is the grooviest spy that ever was, and she's on a mission to save the world from H.A.R.M. and their burping biological billionaire bombs. This cinematic first person shooter was ahead of its time, with snappy writing, intricate levels, and satisfying shooting. The only thing getting in the way is bad, punishing stealth. But for a game released in 2000, this is really impressive and worth checking out.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

In this episode, we answer your questions, discuss what makes a good mobile game, read your responses to October's games and announce what we're covering in December.

Please note, there are a couple of audio issues, which are disclaimed at the beginning of the episode.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Doom 3 was a controversial game, but its only real sin is not being Doom 2 or Doom 2016. Released in 2004 and coinciding with an identity crisis at id Software, this is a retelling of the original Doom story, but with very different gameplay. It more closely resembles the spectacle corridor shooters that were popular at the time, inspired by the success of Half-Life. It's dark and spooky. The pace is more deliberate. These are all problems if what you want is the kind of twitch action you'd find in earlier shooters... but we think Doom 3, warts and all, is worthy of attention.

This is a preview of our premium episode for this month. To hear the full episode, back us on Patreon!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you Ryan!

Beef Golem and Sheva go on a racially insensitive adventure in the 2nd worst mainline Resident Evil game that is, none-the-less, still sort of worth playing? Hear us shed some daylight on this black sheep of the series.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

October's horror game parade continues with Soma, a game that questions what makes us us. Simon is an unlucky guy. He gets a brain scan to help him with a terminal condition, and wakes up in a facility at the bottom of the ocean, eighty years in the future, after the world has ended. To make matters worse, a rogue AI is warping bodies and minds and seeking to re-assimilate anyone who's trying to escape. It's a survival tragedy game that asks loftier questions than most games ask and it's a suitable followup for Frictional.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This goofy action game is a dumb blast and this episode is a breezy start to the best month of the year. Join us as we discuss dino-teens from the year 3000.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week's WOFF! Dispatch is about the special topic of deciding when to stop playing a game. What's the difference between "finishing" a game and "being done" with a game? What makes you walk away for good? Additionally, we answer your questions, read your responses to September's games, and announce what we're covering in November.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Kranky Kratos takes his vengeance quest to a brand new pantheon: the pantheon of fatherhood. Kole and Gary take an axe to the skull of this 2018 prestige game, and by take an axe to the skull, I mean we give a careful, considered look to this very good but still flawed cinematic game.

This is just the preview! Join us at patreon.com/duckfeedtv for the full episode, and dozens more.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Assembled well-wishers, welcome to the land of crunch. Lords of Magic is a 1997 strategy game that is unlike anything we've covered for the show. It takes a high fantasy medieval theme and stacks a bunch of different strategy and RPG game types on top of each other, creating a complex and interlocking set of systems and levels of zoom. You play as one of the faiths of Urak, amassing an army of allies and conquests to defeat Balkoth, the Lord of Death... but not before reading the manual!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The idea of casual games is basically fake, and it's harmful because it leads to inclusive games being dismissed. Kole and Gary look at one of the titans of the "casual" gaming world and find that it packs tons of charm and more depth than it gets credit for.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week we answer your questions and prompts, and talk about times in our lives when we "fell out of love with games". Times when we stopped playing as many games, why that happened, and what brought us back in. We also read your thoughts on Devil May Cry and Disco Elysium.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We're pleased to announce our first new podcast in quite some time! Coming this fall, Gary and Kole will premiere ORB: A Venture Bros. Podcast.

We've taken our approach to video games, movies, music, comics, and books... and now we're dedicating a show to one of our favorite television shows. The Venture Bros. is a long-running show on Adult Swim about a miserable superscientist, his miserable arch nemeses, and his oblivious sons. It's a love letter to all kinds of pulp entertainment from the mid-20th century, including classic animation, exploitation films, and progressive rock.

We're announcing this early because we want help. We'd like to commission the cover art and theme music. So please contact Gary at [email protected] with your portfolio. BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists are strongly encouraged to apply.

Listen to the audio announcement for more details. The show will be launching in about a month, it will come out weekly, and it will replace Monster in My Podcast, which we are putting on mothballs for the time being.
We're extremely excited about this, and we hope you are too. If you'd like to watch along, The Venture Bros. is available for purchase in most of the expected places, and is currently streaming on Hulu.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Big thanks to Moonborne! Though it has some early installment clunk, it's not that often that we get to play what is arguably (please don't argue with us) the first of a genre. Does it hold up? Does the devil cry? Does Dante get to 2nd base with someone who looks like his mom? Find out!

Note, this is our preview episode for the month. To hear the whole thing, and a bunch of other stuff, join us at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This is the second and final part of our Disco Elysium coverage, picking up roughly with day two of the investigation and going full-tilt into learning not just the cause of the murder, but also what's really happening in this world politically, spiritually, and emotionally. I don't want to spend a lot of time heaping sugar on the game in this post, because we do a lot of that in the episode, but it can't be overstated how special this game is.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Big ups to Jack for sponsoring this episode!

A monumental WRPG that rocketed its way up our personal charts to the WOFF Pantheon, Disco Elysium is inspired by all the best video games and still ends up being unique. Hear us discuss generalities and day one here.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week, we talk about escapism, and how turning to games to distract from the real world is sometimes healthy and necessary. We also answer your questions and prompts, and read your responses to July's games: Hitman 2, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, and Mario Golf: Advance Tour.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This weirdo episode talks about a smattering of old and new golf games. The full episode then goes onto discuss Mario Golf Advance Tour. Join us on patreon to hear the whole shebang!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This is the second part, and conclusion, of our Tactics Ogre coverage, where we talk about the Law and Chaos routes of Chapters 2, 3, and 4. Denam is in a precarious place, forced to make morally compromising choices in the heart of a civil war with very high personal stakes. As those closest to him abandon him and the major power players hunt him down, he must find a way to unite the continent and address the bigger threat posed by the Dark Knights of Lodis.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This wildly ambitious port of a wildly ambitious SNES game features a lot of our favorite concepts and creators. Can it stand up to the gigantic shadow cast by Final Fantasy Tactics?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This episode takes us back into the tangled, bloody, and hilarious world of Agent 47. While HItman 2 could be called a mission pack or an expansion pack, we don't think there's anything wrong with that. The fundamental play has not changed, outside of a handful of features and adjustments. What has changed is the size, density, and quality of the levels. Hitman 2 is a veteran studio at the height of their powers, and we're so happy to share this little love-fest with you.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Kole and Gary answer your prompts and questions, read your responses to June's games, and discuss the menace of solved meta and how it keeps us away from multiplayer gaming.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Before they became all the rage in the indie space, you headed to the DS if you wanted to play a Metroidvania game. Konami eventually lost interest in making them, but before they did, they gave us one of our favorite entries in the series: Order of Ecclesia. It bucks the trends of previous games inspired by Symphony of the Night and focuses on tough but fair combat and a very expressive Glyph spell system. Is it for everyone? Probably not. But we hope this episode makes a case for why it might be for you.

Hear the whole thing by backing us on Patreon!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thank you SindrElf!

Gary and Kole take a stilted perspective walk down memory lane, towards the camera for some reason.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The Longest Journey was one of the earliest games we covered for this show, way back in the winter of 2011. We'd intended to hit up its sequel, Dreamfall, because we heard good things. Now, finally, we've gotten around to playing it and... we're not impressed. The game's very strong opening gives way to a muddled story, and the shift away from a more standard point and click adventure game toward a 3D action adventure scheme does not serve it well. So, this one turns into kind of a dunkfest.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Kole and Gary answer your questions, discuss when it's appropriate to take control away from the player, and read your responses to May's games. Also, we announce June's lineup at the end!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This month's premium episode is Capcom's action-heavy followup to the Resident Evil 2 Remake, their update to Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. It tells a similar story to the original, but streamlines everything to heighten the intensity of the fights. This process absolutely strips away a lot of what was special about the original, which it was rightly criticized for, but it's impossible to say it's not fun.

This is a preview of May's premium episode, and it contains the first hour or so where we cover the game's generalities. To hear the whole thing, back us on Patreon!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Special thanks to Neasa!

Kole and Gary surmount one of the most critically acclaimed indies in recent memory. This masocore platformer has tons of heart, some hidden, and extremely precise gamefeel that make it two great tastes. Do they taste great together? Find out.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We're over the moon about this strange detective game set in an alternate history version of the late 90s internet. You're an Enforcer for a corrupt company, browsing the poorly made homepages of netizens looking for violations of the law, and trying to avert a cyberdisaster. This is a very clever investigation game with an amazing look and sound, and it shows a lot of affection for a time period that's nostalgic for a lot of us.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We read your prompts, and your responses to April's games, and discuss what we think separates good lore from bad lore.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The New Colossus is a very strange game. By our usual metrics, this sequel isn't as good as its predecessor. The levels are bad, and the difficulty tuning is way out of whack. Instead, what makes us love this game is its audacity, and how well it tells its story... sometimes even through play! Billy begins the game near death, having lost his leader and his ability to walk. But he still mounts up and puts together a resistance movement to take back America and begin the revolution against the Nazis, once and for all.

This is a preview of April's premium episode. To hear the full episode, back us on Patreon!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Like sands through the hourglass, everything ages. But because time is an ocean in a storm, not a river, some things age better than others, even within the same game. Kole and Gary talk about this well regarded classic and figure out which parts are delicious and which are past their sell-by date.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We welcome Legend of Grimrock II to the pantheon of masterpieces we've covered for the show. It's a throwback to retro dungeon crawlers with tense combat and ingenious puzzles. It's light on story, but heavy on atmosphere, and consistently good throughout. People who like when we gush about good games will like this episode a lot.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thanks Jack!

Gary and Kole turn out the lights and get cute-spooky with the forgotten Mario Brother. This charming, bite sized adventure oozes with polish and though it was unfairly maligned in its day, it was way ahead of its time. Take a listen!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

For this month's Watch Out for Fireballs! Dispatch, our discussion topic is remakes. What makes good remakes good, and bad remakes bad? Additionally, we answer your questions, read your responses to March's games, and announce the games for May.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Hey everyone, we've got some announcements. You can listen to the audio for full details, but it boils down to: the Midwest Gaming Classic in Milwaukee has been canceled, the Portland Retro Games Expo has been canceled, and we cannot in good conscience plan and execute a Duckfest with the global pandemic being what it is.

We will not be doing any live events this year, and this really, really bums us out.

To ameliorate this, we will be holding a virtual Duckfest sometime in June, and also putting out a Switcheroo Bundle a few months after that.

We apologize for any disappointment this might bring, and we hope you are staying save and sane under these trying circumstances.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

There are really two Ocarina of Times. The one that came out in 1998 that's undeniably groundbreaking and an aesthetic triumph, and the one that you can play in 2020 that has a lot of ups and downs. We give this sacred cow an honest evaluation in this episode.

Note, this is the preview version of this episode. To hear the whole thing, join us on Patreon!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Note: You're stuck indoors due to the coronavirus pandemic, so we're unlocking some of our favorite premium content from 2019 so you have more stuff to entertain yourself with. Take care and be safe.

Double Trouble has stolen another fuckin' quarry.

In this episode, we look at the very good game show and the very bland cartoon based on the hottie amazon known as Carmen Sandiego.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Note: You're stuck indoors due to the coronavirus pandemic, so we're unlocking some of our favorite premium content from 2019 so you have more stuff to entertain yourself with. Take care and be safe.

Let's get ready to horny! Stuart Gordon looked at a seven page Lovecraft story about seeing extradimensional beings, and said "I can make a movie out of that." The result is From Beyond, where overactive pineal glands enable shapeshifting and confer BDSM fascinations. It needs to be seen to be believed.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Note: You're stuck indoors due to the coronavirus pandemic, so we're unlocking some of our favorite premium content from 2019 so you have more stuff to entertain yourself with. Take care and be safe.

I'll come clean with you. If you know who Scott Adams is, and you know our general outlook on things, you can probably guess where this episode goes. And if you're not down for that, the first portion of the episode is for you. We talk about the Dilberito.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Note: You're stuck indoors due to the coronavirus pandemic, so we're unlocking some of our favorite premium content from 2019 so you have more stuff to entertain yourself with. Take care and be safe.

Let the circle be broken, because we don't like Bioshock Infinite. The full episode is four hours of us trying our best to point out the many ways it falls short as a game, and as a conveyor of ideas.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Metroidvanias are pretty common, but games that aim to ape the original Metroid are few and far between. Axiom Verge is a 2015 indie game with a distinct glitchy NES aesthetic and some pretty great powerups. It also has some problems with its combat and main character. You can't take away the beauty of those sprite designs or that music, however.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Kole and Gary go deep into the Abyss on Valdis Story, a kickstarter character action/metroidvania hybrid. It's got ups, it's got downs, and we discuss em all. Thank you to Terra Parker for sponsoring this episode!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This week's episode is a Dispatch, where we answer your questions and talk about your requested topic... namely, is it harmful to consider a game's value solely as a function of its length versus its cost?

Additionally, we read your responses to February's games, and announce April's titles!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This month's premium Watch Out for Fireballs! is about XCOM: Enemy Unknown (and the Enemy Within expansion). This game is a masterpiece, and we take our time dining on the systems and the way they interlock. The aliens have made contact, and they do not come in peace. So it's time to mount the defensive and take the fight to their doorstep. The structure of this episode is a little strange, we admit, but we hope you're here to hear us geek out over tactics and such.

This is the first portion of a premium episode. [You can hear the rest by backing us on Patreon.](

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Death of the Outsider is an expansion for Dishonored 2, and the end of the Dishonored story as we know it so far. We control Billie Lurk as she picks up where Daud left off, seeking artifacts and clues to learn where the Outsider is most vulnerable so she can strike him down. The change in focus from assassination to heists, and to a different character with a more restrictive power set, makes this a very unusual entry in the Dishonored franchise, but it's still delightful to dip back into this world.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Thanks to friend of the show Doug, Kole and Gary finally tackle Atari. It's history, notable games, its downfall. Join us for this enlightening journey with Kole and Gary, your nutting associates.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

With all of the information we have about games and their developers, "should I play this game" is a question that isn't easily answered by knowing if it's good or not. We talk about common bad practices of developers and publishers (crunch, exploitative monetization, etc.) and our strategies for coming to grips with what it means to support or not support a game.

We also answer your questions and prompts, and read your responses to January's games!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This is the preview version of our full episode on the nigh masterpiece Shadowrun: Dragonfall! To hear the full version, become a patron at www.patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This game gets pretty rough, so we should start with some content warnings for suicide, mental illness, depression, and murder.

The Cat Lady is an independent horror adventure game that stars Susan Ashworth, a woman suffering from trauma and depression, who is pressed into the service of an eldritch being, and tasked with eliminating "Parasites"... indiscriminate killers who surround her. Susan's only hope in this dismal affair is an unexpected new friend with problems of her own. The Cat Lady isn't perfect, but it's extremely strongly stated in a way that is rare for games of any scope.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Folks, this is, as one might say, a good ass game. Kole and Gary discuss this FPS throwback that incorporates modern design sensibilities and a host of diverse influences. GET DUSK.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Gary and Kole give six old games a second thought, making a case for why they are either hidden gems or unfairly maligned classics. The six games are Alter Ego, Dynamite Headdy, Fallout Tactics, Ghoul School, Legend of the Mystical Ninja, and Ranger X.

This is a live episode from the 2019 Portland Retro Gaming Expo. Thanks so much to everyone who came out, and everyone who backed our Patreon and made this possible.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Kole and Gary answer your questions, discuss the importance of endings, and read your responses to December's games

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Our final premium episode for 2019 takes us to a fantasy far East, where Bioware tries out some new stuff that ultimately doesn't work out great. While we find the world interesting and the characters and quests charming, Jade Empire falls down on its two biggest selling points: real time action combat, and a different take on morality systems. Listen in to hear us articulate our specific problems with this transitional game for an important studio.

To listen to the full episode, back our Patreon and visit this post.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Kole and Gary shrug off the yoke of Kyros and have a grand ol time (as long as we're not in the Oldwalls). Hear our discussion of an B+ tier Obsidian game that still manages to be an A- WRPG overall.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This episode is the beginning of our two-part coverage of Tyranny, a CRPG developed by Obsidian in the mold of classic Infinity Engine games. You play as an agent of an evil overlord, sent to the last unconquered region in order to aid the wildly disagreeable armies there to prosecute the conquest.

Part 1 covers the ample generalities of the game, and goes through Chapter 1. It should be noted that we are covering the Anarchy path for the show.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Kole and Gary answer your questions, discuss the value of games that intentionally engender feelings other than "fun" and read your responses to November's games. We also announce our lineup for January 2020!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

We're big fans of Deus Ex, so there's joy in covering more of the series on the show. Human Revolution came out to a split reaction, which is to be expected. How can you please Deus Ex fans? We're a small sample size, but in our opinion, this is how you please Deus Ex fans. The story is smaller in scale and the jank has been polished away, but this is a fun immersive sim with an engrossing story and a beautiful aesthetic. So we're on board.

This episode is about the Director's Cut version of the game, so we talk about the improved boss fights and the Missing Link DLC.

This is a preview of a full premium episode that is available to our patrons. Find the full audio here.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Is it a GTA clone? Is it a racing game? Is it any good? It is very hard to say! Kole and Gary bandy about Springfield and try to figure out this frustrating but fun title.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

The Last Express is more important than it is fun. Jordan Mechner broke the bank creating this rotoscoped Swiss watch of a game about the last run of the Orient Express before World War I broke out. It features a huge cast of well-realized characters, and a plot with plenty of international intrigue. It also features one hell of a crazy ending.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This month's Dispatch theme is, appropriately, horror. Or: What makes a scary game scary? We pick apart out favorite horror games and compare them to this month's crop of horror-themed titles. We also answer your questions and prompts, and read your responses to October's games.

Next month, we're talking about The Last Express, The Simpsons: Hit and Run, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

In December, we're hitting up Tyranny and Jade Empire.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Alan Wake is a writer, and he reminds you of that a lot. This is Remedy's third person shooter followup to the first two Max Payne games. It dabbles in horror without being terribly scary, and gets extremely metatextual at a time when that wasn't a huge thing in games. It worked at the time, and would probably work on a first playthrough, but we struggle to see through the game's unfortunate design flaws.

This is a preview of a premium episode. Click here to see the full episode on Patreon!

Thanks to Vulpes for producing this episode!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

It's time for another pull on the tonal slot machine as WOFF's weirdest and least scary October continues. Gary and Kole dissect the entire gamut of RE7's downloadable content and extra modes.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Silent Hill is one of our favorite horror series, and it's always pleasant to return to it. This episode has us looking at Shattered Memories, the Wii game developed by Climax and Sam Barlow (of "Her Story" fame). It upends a good number of traditions of the series, and ends up being a very different game than you might expect. The star is the psychological profiling system, but the game earns big consternation for separating puzzles and monsters.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Spooky scary month begins! Gary and Kole are joined by patron and Slack super star Jack Corrigan to talk about 2018's messy but somewhat interesting Call of Cthulhu.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

This month's Dispatch has a lot going on. We answer a ton of your questions, including a long run of lightning round prompts. Then we talk about the difficulty inherent in separating art from artist, in light of the recent spate of games industry MeToo incidents. Then, we read your responses to our September games.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Kole and Gary finally tackle the FPS that set the standard, not only for the genre, but for cinematic and narrative games to this day.

To hear the whole thing, join us at patreon.com/duckfeedtv

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is the first entry in this long-running series that we've covered. It's a tactical RPG set in a medieval world, and this particular game has a lot of oddball features that would eventually become mainstays in the series. However, does it all stand up?

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Special thanks to Geri Khan for producing this one!

Kole and Gary take a rare trip to the Genesis to discuss one of the best games the run'n'gun genre has to offer. Loads of charm and creativity make this one of the best games on the system. Listen in!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!