Podcast Beyond - IGN's PlayStation Show podcast

Podcast Beyond - IGN's PlayStation Show

·

  IGN Staff  

Beyond is IGN’s flagship PlayStation show, the place where we break down all the latest Sony news and announcements, share our impressions on what we’re playing - new and old - but most importantly, celebrate the fun and camaraderie of gaming.

Beyond is IGN’s flagship PlayStation show, the place where we break down all the latest Sony news and announcements, share our impressions on what we’re playing - new and old - but most importantly, celebrate the fun and camaraderie of gaming.

 

#749

The Scariest Video Games You’ve Ever Played - Beyond 867

Tis the season… No, the OTHER season. That’s right, it’s that time of year when everything is covered with bats and skeletons and fake cobwebs and other macabre and ghoulish decor. So, we took the opportunity to reach out to our listeners and have them share the stuff in video games that’s terrified, creeped out, haunted, startled, or otherwise scared the crap out of them. It’s an excuse to talk about some of our favorite games, from tried and true survival horror franchises like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Dead Space, to older favorites like Condemned: Criminal Origins, Cold Fear and Alien: Isolation, to games that we don’t think of primarily as horror, but which definitely have one foot in there, like Bloodborne (of course) and BioShock. What game has scared you the most? Share your video game scary stories in the comments. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet.  Opera GX: IGN Edition brings the Internet’s number one destination for news, reviews, gameplay, trailers and more, into your browser:  [https://operagx.gg/IGN_Article] (https://operagx.gg/IGN_Article) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

16 Oct 2024

1 HR 19 MINS

1:19:08

16 Oct 2024


#748

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, Silent Hill 2 Remake & Metaphor Re:Fantazio - Beyond 866

Wow! That episode title uses a lot of words to list just three games, but those three games are all some of this year’s most anticipated releases. We’ve all gotten to delve into Silent Hill 2’s long-awaited remake courtesy of Layers of Fear studio Bloober Team, Persona and Shin Megami Tensei developers ATLUS’ brand new JPRG, Metaphor Re:Fantazio, and Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero, which is basically the 4th entry in the Budokai Tenkaichi series that fans have been asking for since 2005. Video games! You couldn’t find a more drastically different bunch of games, but they all have a whole lot to offer, whether you want to have the crap scared out of you, make the protagonist take a crap, or hear Chi-Chi talking crap about Super Saiyan hair. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, and Akeem Lawanson. Opera GX: IGN Edition brings the Internet’s number one destination for news, reviews, gameplay, trailers and more, into your browser:  [https://operagx.gg/IGN_Article] (https://operagx.gg/IGN_Article) opera.com [Opera GX | Gaming Browser] (https://operagx.gg/IGN_Article) Opera GX is the browser built specifically for gamers. Get unparalleled gaming and browsing features, packed in a powerful revolutionary browser. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

09 Oct 2024

57 MINS

57:39

09 Oct 2024


#747

PS5 Pro Pre-Orders Were a Limited Edition Letdown - Beyond 865

The limited edition 30th Anniversary PlayStation 5 hardware that was announced last week went up for pre-order, and statistically speaking, you probably weren’t able to get one. On top of maybe TOO limited quantities of the very cool retro-style versions of the PlayStation 5, PS5 Pro, PlayStation portal and both DualSense and DualSense Edge, the whole online pre-order system turned out to be something of a disaster. People waiting in queues for an hour or more, just to be told everything was out of stock. Or worse, being able to add stuff to their card, but blocked from purchase by technical problems. Considering how much of a mess the launch of this generation was thanks to scalpers, you’d think Sony would’ve handled this better. Actually they did, but only in Japan, where pre-orders of the highly sought-after special editions were limited to PSN account holders with more than 30 hours logged playing games, which presumably helped make things a bit more orderly. We also scratch our heads about the pricing of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, which is only ten bucks for people who own the game on PS4, which mysteriously doubled in price overnight on the PlayStation Store. And like, we get it, but also: c’mon. In other news, Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ delay into next year puts in a literal Samurai Shodown with Ghost of Yotei, and that probably isn’t great for either game. We also reflect on how it’s going to be difficult to narrow down what this year’s game of the year will be. Despite a handful of really good games, there don’t seem to be any clear crowd-pleaser standouts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

02 Oct 2024

57 MINS

57:53

02 Oct 2024


#746

The PlayStation State of Play Remastered Our Thoughts on The PS5 Pro - Beyond 864

The latest PlayStation State of Play happened, and the Beyond crew broke down the biggest PS5 news and trailers from the event. There were various PlayStation 5 titles revealed, the biggest one showcased was Ghost of Yotei, which takes place in 1603 and is releasing in 2025. PlayStation is releasing various remasters, like Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and 2 Remastered, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and Lunar Remastered Collection. Sega is apparently bringing back the whole movie tie-in trope with a special DLC coming to Sonic X Shadow Generations coming in the form of Keanu Reeves voicing Shadow, a special level and movie-accurate skin, which will be included in the digital deluxe edition. And more games were shown off on the #PS5Pro, including FF7 Rebirth, Horizon Forbidden West, The Last of Us Remastered, Jedi Survivor, Spider-Man 2, The Crew, Stellar Blade, Assassins Creed Snake Eater, Resident Evil Village, and many more. Listen in or watch as Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, and Nicolas Limon discuss all these and more in a very special #PlayStation State of Play #PS5 episode of BEYOND! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

25 Sep 2024

58 MINS

58:30

25 Sep 2024


#745

PS5 Pro: What Would Actually Make You Buy One? - Beyond 863

Now that the dust has settled on the PlayStation 5 Pro’s underwhelming reveal and overwhelming price tag, let’s actually discuss what it would take to get us seriously interested. Sure, Grand Theft Auto 6 at 4K 60FPS would be nice, but is it realistic? Will Rockstar save that for the inevitable PS6 version? We read some of the Beyond community’s thoughts on the matter. Speaking of PlayStation 6, we know basically nothing about the next generation of consoles, other than there will be one, and that it’ll feature an AMD chip, after Sony’s deal with Intel allegedly fell through. This would suggest backward compatibility, which is a blessing and a curse, considering the PS5 is still getting a lot of cross-gen games that also come to PS4. Meanwhile, they don’t make fall/holiday video game release lineups like they used to, and we wax nostalgic about a graphic showing all the amazing games that hit PlayStation 2 back in 2001… And maybe their timed exclusivity had more to do with the PS2 hitting the market a year before Xbox and GameCube than anything Sony was doing. Finally, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster rises from its grave looking better than the last time we saw it, but showing its age in other ways. Beyond is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and Akeem Lawanson. Check out our facebook group at - [https://www.facebook.com/groups/podcastbeyond/] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/podcastbeyond/) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

18 Sep 2024

58 MINS

58:42

18 Sep 2024


#744

The PS5 Pro Revealed: Some Pros, But Mostly Cons - Beyond 862

After months of leaks and rumors, Sony finally revealed the PlayStation 5’s mid-gen refresh, the PS5 Pro. The 8-minute technical presentation from Mark Cerny spent its first three minutes singing the base PS5’s praises, and then highlighted the “big three” improvements the new model boastsl: a larger GPU, advanced ray tracing, and AI-driven upscaling. This new tech was showcased in a montage of side-by-side comparisons featuring some of the PS5’s most popular games, and while there’s some subtle but noticeable difference seeing how these games look running on new tech, nothing really blew us away… at least, until the price was announced. The PS5 Pro launches November 7th with an MSRP of $699 in the US, €799 in Europe. Bear in mind, the stand and the disc drive are sold separately, and the base PS5 isn’t getting any price cut that we’re aware of, which is usually what happens to consoles mid-generation. So many of the PS5’s games so far have been backwards compatible that it’s hard to justify a new console to begin with, let alone a more powerful one. We’re all riding high on Astro Bot, and while that game is gorgeous and technically impressive, at no point did it seem like more powerful hardware would improve the experience. As for what upcoming games can truly take advantage of the PS5 Pro, that remains to be seen. Grand Theft Auto 6 is obviously a big huge deal in 2025, and it’ll undoubtedly sell some PS5 Pros, but aside from Insomniac’s Wolverine game, so much of Sony’s first party lineup is still under wraps, which makes it hard to get excited about this thing, let alone justify spending money on it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

10 Sep 2024

58 MINS

58:13

10 Sep 2024


#743

Astro Bot Is Pure Joy, Concord Is a Total Disaster - Beyond 861

Astro Bot is finally here, and surprise! It’s awesome! Simon Cardy joins us to discuss his review of Team Asobi’s full-sized follow-up to Astro’s Playroom, which is a rock-solid 3D platformer jam-packed with references, easter eggs and playful nods to thirty years of PlayStation history. We do our best to avoid spoiling any of the fun surprises, but really, it’s impossible to spoil the best part of this game, which is just the unadulterated joy of playing it for yourself. Anyway, if that was all that was going on, it’d be a good week for Sony, but we just got word that Concord had such an underwhelming launch that Sony is pulling the plug indefinitely, taking the game offline, and offering full refunds to the people who did actually buy it. This is part of the ongoing issue across the industry of live-service games not being able to sustain themselves. What’s next for Concord, a free-to-play relaunch, or is it just gone for good? We’ll have to wait and see. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

05 Sep 2024

55 MINS

55:56

05 Sep 2024


#742

The Ups and Downs Star Wars Outlaws, Concord & Black Myth Wukong - Beyond 860

We’re back to our normally scheduled Beyond program, and would you look at that! A few massive games came out for us to talk about. Star Wars Outlaws is full of high highs and low lows, and as much as we were hoping this would be Watch Dogs with Womp Rats or “Assassin’s Greedo,” its game design cherry picks mechanics from the Ubisoft’s stealthy open-world action adventure formula in odd ways. Still, zipping around that galaxy far, far away on a souped-up speeder bike with your alien Muppet sidekick is awesome when it clicks. Meanwhile, Mitchell reviewed Black Myth Wukong and thought it was great out of ten, but anyone thinking it’s a soulslike may want to adjust their expectations. Meanwhile, Concord may have launched with more of a bang than whimper, but Jada’s having a blast, which has us questioning the future of Sony’s latest live-service that’s been long in development. Oh yeah, and there’s some news too: the PS5 and a variety of accessories get a price hike in Japan, the Dualsense Edge now works on PC with the Accessories app, LEGO Horizon’s release date may have leaked, and Foamstars goes free-to-play. This week’s episode features Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and Mitchell Saltzman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

29 Aug 2024

1 HR 05 MINS

1:05:17

29 Aug 2024


#741

5 Awesome Games We Checked Out At gamescom 2024' - A Podcast Beyond! Special Episode

Beyond and hello! Welcome to a very special gamescom edition of IGN’s weekly PlayStation show. This week, a whole bunch of the IGN team is in Germany covering the show, including Max, Brian, and our producer Nick, so putting together a regular Beyond episode was a little tricky. Instead, we’ve pulled together a bunch of our interviews about upcoming PlayStation games. We kick things off with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which we just learned is coming to PS5 next year. Then, Mouse: P.I. for Hire, which is sort of like if Cuphead was a first-person shooter about a rodent detective. To cap things off, we’ve got a trio of upcoming games based on some of our favorite movies that take place on barren, sandy desert planets: Starship Troopers: Extermination, Dune Awakening, and Star Wars Outlaws. We’ll be back with a normal episode next week, but we hope you enjoy some of what the team produced at Gamescom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

26 Aug 2024

58 MINS

58:47

26 Aug 2024


#740

Will Concord Suffer from Sony Skipping Gamescom? - Beyond 854

This week, it was announced that Stellar Blade sold a million copies, which has us optimistic we’ll see a sequel to ShiftUp’s much-discussed hack and slash. Something we definitely won’t be seeing is a PlayStation presence at gamescom 2024, which definitely doesn’t have us feeling particularly optimistic about Concord, the multiplayer FPS that Sony’s publishing that same week. A massive video game event with hundreds of thousands of attendees sure seems like a good spot to demo a brand new live-service game, but hey, what do we know? Helldivers 2 launched just fine without. Then again, is it fair to compare Helldivers 2 and Concord? They’re both Sony-published multiplayer live-service games that are hitting PS5 and PC day and date, but they’re clearly very different. One is a shameless knockoff slash heartfelt love-letter to Starship Troopers, a 27-year-old cult classic, that has a very clear idea of what kind of video game it is, while the other seems to be equal parts Guardians of the Galaxy and Overwatch, but combined in a way that’s ambitiously blending an ongoing narrative with multiplayer live-service. In other news, after all our grousing and moaning during the Ubisoft Forward post-show about Ubisoft’s failure to acknowledge Beyond Good & Evil in any way… they just released a 20th Anniversary 4K remaster of the game, with a bunch of bonus content and quality of life improvements. Why wasn’t this announced during that week when everybody was making big announcements? We don’t know. But here’s what we do know: Elden Ring is a good video game, so we’re gonna talk about that, and if you’re avoiding Shadow of the Erdtree spoilers, don’t worry, you’re probably farther along than most of us. Which is your favorite farming spot, Ball Hill or Bird Cliff? Sound off in the comments. This week’s Beyond is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and one-man band/producer/panelist, Tom Jorgensen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

22 Aug 2024

54 MINS

54:21

22 Aug 2024


#739

More Closures & Layoffs See Ready At Dawn Sunsetted, Bungie Stretched Thin - Beyond 859

This week, we’re joined by the wonderful Jared Petty, formerly of IGN, currently of Limited Run Games, to talk about (among other things) Tomba! Special Edition. Who is this pink-haired feral child, and why is he biting all those pigs? We had questions, and Jared had some answers. Plus, Jada ventured into No Man’s Sky in VR and was very impressed, further highlighting just how much Hello Games managed to transform that game since it launched way back when. On a more serious note, we got word that Meta has shut down Ready At Dawn, the studio responsible for some beloved PlayStation games, including the ambitious and underrated The Order 1886, as well as some PSP bangers like God of War: Chains of Olympus and Daxter. Meanwhile, Bungie had a massive round of layoffs amid restructuring, which has us discussing the unrealistic expectations and unsustainable business models of the games industry. On the bright side, Krafton, publisher of PUBG and The Callisto Protocol, has scooped up Tango Gameworks, along with the Hi-Fi Rush rights, so maybe we haven’t seen the last of that rhythm-based hack-and-slash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

14 Aug 2024

57 MINS

57:45

14 Aug 2024


#738

Breaking Down The Biggest Games of Sony's China Hero Project - Beyond 858

This week, Jada makes her return to the hosting chair along with Taylor Lyles, Cam “Final Mix” Hawkins, and Kevin Diaz to talk about the biggest games coming out of China Joy 2024 and Sony’s China Hero Project. Ganes like Lost Soul Aside, Exiledge, AI Limit and many more that are building momentum as we get closer to their releases. We also talk about other games that showed up at China Joy 2024 not directly from Sony with new teasers and trailers including Monster Hunter Wilds, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and Phantom Blade Zero. There was also a new teaser for Season 2 of The Last of Us tv series on Max, to discuss and theorize who Catherine O’Hara will be playing and what storylines could be expanded on beyond what we got in the games. And oh yeah Astrobot and his controller are almost here so we had to talk at least a little bit about one of our favorite up-and-coming mascots of PlayStation. We also acknowledge the PSVR2 PC adapter and hope that will help entice more people to play and make more things that are PSVR2 compatible. There is also a new segment called Out This Week highlighting all the games coming out this week that we are excited for like Twin-Stick shooter Cygni: All Guns Blazing, Volgarr the Viking 2, Steamworld Heist 2, and of course Cat’s Quest 3 where you can take over the Purribean, I’m not sure if that's a tagline for the game but either way that's the pun I’m going with in this description for it. Finally, we do a lightning round of what we’ve been playing recently. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

07 Aug 2024

1 HR 23 MINS

1:23:54

07 Aug 2024


#737

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn & Concord Beta Impressions - Beyond 857

This week, we’ve got plenty to talk about. Jada just reviewed Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, the open-world souls-like action RPG from the studio behind Ashen. She breaks down the combat, both ranged and melee, as well as traversal, how the world is laid out, and the novel approach of earning bonus experience by chaining together combos. We also delve into bosses, as well as what’s up with that little rat dog. Concord had its first Beta this weekend, and we discuss our early impressions of Firewalk’s relatively budget-priced but still pay-to-play live-service shooter. Will it have the same success as Helldivers 2, or attract disgruntled Apex Legends and Overwatch players? We’ll have to wait and see. Jada also spoke to Neil Jones the developer of, Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield, about the upcoming indie narrative runner. We also have time to weigh in on other stuff we’ve been playing, including Chants of Sennaar, Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail, Alaskan Road Truckers, and yes, Elden Ring’s expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. Have you heard of it? This week’s panel is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and Brian Altano with special guest Neil Jones.  Presented by Wendy’s Saucy Nuggs 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:17 - Concord First Impressions 00:14:35 - Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Impressions 00:32:17 - Wendy's Saucy Nuggs Featuring Unnecessary Inventions 00:33:37 - Aerial_Knight's We Never Yield Interview with Neil Jones 00:50:56 - Brian likes Elden Ring 01:04:04 - Chants of Sennaar, Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail, Alaskan Road Truckers Discussion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

18 Jul 2024

1 HR 25 MINS

1:25:42

18 Jul 2024


#736

The DLC Dilemma: When Should an Expansion Just Be a Full Game? - Beyond 856

Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is one of the more expansive expansions in recent memory, which has just pondering what exactly the sweet spot is for add-ons to games we love. Is waiting two years for a $40 expansion to a $70 game better than waiting five or six years for a full sequel? Regularly updated live-service games like Destiny 2 and Final Fantasy XIV have no trouble keeping existing players interested, but how do you attract new players when a game’s been going for over a decade? Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was nearly an expansion for GTA III before Rockstar made it a standalone release, and we got some wonderful expansions to Grand Theft Auto IV with The Lost & The Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, and then GTAV’s story DLC was allegedly scrapped to focus on the more granular and lucrative updates added to GTA Online. Meanwhile, plenty more great games got their start as DLC, like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Halo 3: ODST and Hollow Knight: Silk Song… Though that last one is still MIA. In other PlayStation-adjacent news, Astro’s Playroom has been getting some free sneaky little updates ahead of the release of Astro Bot, including some indication that someone working at Sony actually remembers that Bloodborne exists and that people love it. The Shapes is a new line of collector-grade action figures from Spin Master, featuring some familiar faces from God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, and Horizon Forbidden West. We got a couple little updates on the Watch Dogs movie we forgot was in the works, as well as the Metal Gear Solid movie that’s been in the works for almost 20 years. This week’s episode features Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and Matt Kim. Presented by Wendy’s Saucy Nuggs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

10 Jul 2024

53 MINS

53:54

10 Jul 2024


#735

Dead Rising & Kunitsu-Gami: How Capcom’s Balancing Remakes & Risks - Beyond 855

Capcom had a few surprises for us with this week’s Next showcase, including the full reveal of Dead Rising: Deluxe Remaster, the second time the 2006 survival-action-horror game has gotten a fresh coat of paint. Apparently a deluxe remaster is a little more involved that your run-of-the-mill HD upscale, but not quite on the same level of a remake, like Capcom’s recent Resident Evil do-overs. Whatever the case, it looks great, and we’ll happily jump back into Frank West’s shoes for some zombie mayhem when the Deluxe Remaster drops in September, and for anyone not excited about the news, rest assured Resident Evil 9 IS in development, so chill out. Aside from re-visiting the familiar to varying degrees, Capcom is also showing it’s not afraid to try something new, as demonstrated by Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, an interesting hybrid of tower defense, real-time strategy and escort mission that’s surprisingly hard to explain, which is somewhat unusual in this day and age of established game genres checking boxes of what kind of mechanics they involve. Kunitsu-Gami drops in a few weeks, and while July isn’t particularly packed with big releases, it does have some coming up, like Final Fantasy XVI’s Dawntrail expansion, First Descendant, Zenless Zone Zero, Flintlock: Siege of Dawn, College Football 25, and Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Game. This week, Beyond is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and Logan Plant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

03 Jul 2024

55 MINS

55:11

03 Jul 2024


#734

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Review Discussion - Beyond 853

Arise, once again, Tarnished! FromSoftware’s long-awaited DLC expansion to Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree is almost upon us and Mitchell Saltzman joins us to give his spoiler-free thoughts on why it’s yet another 10 out of 10 review score for IGN. Obviously, FromSoft games are challenging from the jump, but it should be no surprise that an expansion for people who know their way around The Lands Between packs a punch for even the highest level players. Plus, we run down a couple games from the various Summer events that caught our eye, including Kunitsi-Gami: Path of the Goddess, which takes a novel approach to tower defense with an aesthetic somewhat reminiscent of Okami, as well as Starship Troopers: Extermination, which takes a more conventional approach to tower-defense, but with 16-player co-op in first-person, which should be more than enough to set it apart from Helldivers 2. Mixtape looks like a gorgeous whimsical indie adventure to let us relive our mischievous teenage glory days to the tune of a great soundtrack, and Metal Gear Solid 3 Delta Triangle Remake Eater has a gross mechanic that sounds like something Kojima would’ve dreamed up. This week’s Beyond is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and Mitchell Saltzman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

19 Jun 2024

53 MINS

53:15

19 Jun 2024


#733

Revisiting 'Horizon Forbidden West' - A Podcast Beyond! Special Episode

Welcome to another very special episode of IGN's weekly PlayStation show. Today we’re taking a look back at our past coverage of Horizon Forbidden West, including a review discussion plus a spoiler-filled breakdown with some of the developers from Guerrilla Games. So, if you haven’t finished the game, this might ruin the ending, and if you haven’t played the game at all, it probably won’t make any sense. You have been warned! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

15 Jun 2024

2 HR 09 MINS

2:09:18

15 Jun 2024


#732

Star Wars Outlaws Looks Like The GTA In Space We’ve Been Waiting For - Beyond 852

This year’s Ubisoft Forward didn’t have much in the way of surprises, but it did have a ton of gameplay of two games that we’ll actually get to play in just a few months, Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Outlaws in particular looks like a game we’ve been waiting our whole lives for, an open-world sandbox that lets us explore the grimiest corners of the most wretched hives of scum and villainy. It’s a premise we almost got in Star Wars 1313 and Amy Hennig and Visceral’s Project Ragtag, but both those got canceled. Unlike some past Ubisoft gameplay demonstrations, what we’ve seen of Outlaws seems like it’ll actually be representative of the game that’s coming out in August, so here’s hoping it delivers. Meanwhile, another much-demanded project is Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which takes Ubi’s flagship stealth adventure series to Japan, and in addition to the awesome setting, it looks like it’s introducing a number of ambitious gameplay systems and mechanics. We got a few updates on what’s coming soon to this year’s Prince of Persia games, The Lost Crown and The Rogue Prince of Persia, but we also got the somewhat underwhelming announcement that the remake of The Sands of Time, which was originally slated for 2021, won’t be out until 2026 - is that the first big game with a release date that far off? Beyond Good and Evil 2 was nowhere to be seen, which is unsurprising but still disappointing, and sadly, we got no updates on what’s going on with Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell remake/reboot, or the Ghost Recon series. Oh, and there was no Far Cry, but we hope the next one has dinosaurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

10 Jun 2024

47 MINS

47:38

10 Jun 2024


#731

Battle Royale: Clash of the PlayStation Titans - Beyond | IGN Live 2024

Join us for "Beyond Battle Royale: Clash of PlayStation Titans," at IGN Live, where we dive into an epic debate to determine the ultimate PlayStation character. Hosted by Max Scoville, this special edition of Beyond brings together Max, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, and you, the fans, to help the Beyond squad decide once and for all who reigns supreme in the PlayStation universe. Watch as characters like Kratos, Aloy, and Nathan Drake are pitted against each other in a showdown. Let’s crown the king or queen of the PlayStation All-Stars! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

09 Jun 2024

48 MINS

48:22

09 Jun 2024


#730

Revisiting 'Ghost of Tsushima' - A Podcast Beyond! Special Episode

Welcome to a very special episode of IGN's weekly PlayStation show. Today we’re taking a look back at our past coverage of Ghost of Tsushima. Today’s discussion is a breakdown of Ghost of Tsushima’s opening moments, which is spoiler-free - but you’re probably going to get more out of it if you’ve played the game - plus, the game rules, so get on that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

02 Jun 2024

1 HR 16 MINS

1:16:48

02 Jun 2024


#729

The Sony State of Play Showcased A lot of Astro Bot and More Upcoming PS5 Games - Beyond 850

After weeks of rumors and speculation and a couple leaks, Sony finally kicked off the summer gaming event season with a State of Play presentation, and while it didn’t exactly feel on par with some of the full-blown Showcases of years past, there was some cool stuff shown off. Join Akeem, Jada, Nick and Daemon as they unpack what was revealed. For starters, we got our first look at Firewalk’s FPS Concord, which is a 5v5 multiplayer FPS that leans heavily on a narrative that unfolds week after week. It’s got plenty of charm, but it’s hard to ignore how much of it resembles a Guardians of the Galaxy-flavored Overwatch-like. Meanwhile, we’re actually getting an officially licensed Marvel-flavored third-person Overwatch-like with Marvel Rivals, which is coming to PlayStation 5, starting with a closed beta in July. Until Dawn is getting a full remake for PS5 and PC this fall, and God of War Ragnarok will also be hitting Steam in September. We got a good look at some other games where you hit big epic monsters with cool weapons in new gameplay from Where Winds Meet, our first glimpse of Ballad of Antara, and Capcom’s first gameplay from Monster Hunter Wilds, which looks like more Monster Hunter in all the right ways. Speaking of monsters and Capcom, Resident Evil was sadly absent, but we got some more Silent Hill 2 Remake gameplay courtesy of Konami and Bloober Team, and it’s shaping up to be here just in time for Halloween. Shockingly, Sony remembered the PlayStation VR 2 exists, and showed off some gameplay from Skydance’s Behemoth, an epic medieval fantasy action game, as well as Alien: Rogue Incursion, an action-horror game from the Creed: Rise to Glory team. Dynasty Warriors Origins will let you shout “Die, you nasty warriors” at a whole lot of dudes with great hair and long flowing robes, while Infinity Nikki will let you run around a big whimsical open world having great hair and wearing long flowing robes. Did you know this is the fifth installment in the Nikki series? Well, it is, and it’s getting a beta on PS5 sometime soon. Now, arguably the reveal that had everyone the most excited was Astro Bot, a brand new full-fledged 3D platformer featuring the little PlayStation mascot who could (and sometimes does) taking the charming formula from the PS5 pack-in Astro’s Playroom, and expanding it across 80 levels, with tons of new enemies and abilities, and probably some great #Sony easter eggs. Astro Bot is coming to #PS5 and the #PlayStation5 owners can rejoice. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ [https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond] (https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond) Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

31 May 2024

51 MINS

51:58

31 May 2024


#728

Revisiting 'God of War Ragnarök' - A Podcast Beyond! Special Episode

Hello and welcome to a very special episode of Beyond! Today, we’re taking a look back at some of our past coverage of God of War: Ragnarök. For starters, a spoiler-filled deep-dive on the game with director Eric Williams, followed by some 1-on-1 interviews with the cast, including Kratos himself, Christopher Judge. Spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t played Ragnarök… get on that. Otherwise, enjoy! EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ [https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond] (https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond) Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

26 May 2024

1 HR 46 MINS

1:46:15

26 May 2024


#727

Sony’s Next Showcase: 9 Things We Think We’ll See (And 9 We Don’t) - Beyond 849

It’s the time of year when Sony usually holds its big Summer Showcase presentation, giving us a look ahead at what’s coming to PlayStation in the coming months. As of this recording, there’s no official word on if or when such a showcase will be happening, but we figured it’s worth running down what we definitely expect to see and what we don’t think will make an appearance. Assuming they’re still slated for 2024 releases, we’re due for a closer look at the Snake Eater remake, Metal Gear Solid Delta, and a release date for Bloober Team’s Silent HIll 2 remake. On the first-party front, an actual reveal of the PVP multiplayer first-person shooter Concord would be nice, and maybe a release window for Death Stranding 2. Will PSVR 2 get any kind of love at all? We’re skeptical. As much as we’d love to see more of Grand Theft Auto 6 or Insomniac’s Wolverine game, or get word of a Bloodborne remaster, those seem extremely unlikely, but hey… we’ve been wrong before. This week’s Beyond cast is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and Brian Altano. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ [https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond] (https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond) Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

25 May 2024

54 MINS

54:30

25 May 2024


#726

Revisiting 'The Last of Us Part 2' - A Podcast Beyond! Special Episode

Join us as we explore how Naughty Dog created the terrifying Rat King and revisit an interview with director Neil Druckmann and narrative lead Halley Gross. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ [https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond] (https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond) Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

18 May 2024

1 HR 33 MINS

1:33:07

18 May 2024


#725

Is 2024 The Year AAA Console Exclusives Die? - Beyond 848

Once upon a time, video game consoles were defined by their exclusive game lineups… these days, that seems like less of a sure thing, and with the rising cost of game development, it’s not hard to see why. Between a simultaneous PC release making Helldivers 2 PlayStation’s fastest-selling game ever, to Square-Enix aggressively exploring a multi-platform strategy, to Xbox Game Studios games like Sea of Thieves topping PS5 sales charts, it sure looks like more publishers are ditching the idea of keeping their games on just one platform or device. On a semi-related note, back in our day, video game controllers were small enough for little kids to play them, and now they’re too darn big! But really, maybe Nintendo’s on to something by offering teeny-tiny Joycon, but also a Switch Pro Controller. Meanwhile, the DualSense is practically twice the size of the first three generations of DualShock controllers, could there be a market for a smaller controller? Animal Well is, well, a game about animals at the bottom of a well, and that’s all well and good. Little Kitty Big City is the latest adorable indie game that has entirely too much NPC dialogue for its own good, and if you don’t mind reading the Elden Ring manga is easily the funniest interpretation of a FromSoft game this side of Prepare To Try. Podcast Beyond this week is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, and Akeem Lawanson. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ [https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond] (https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond) Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

15 May 2024

54 MINS

54:30

15 May 2024


#724

Helldivers 2 Players Waged War on Sony’s PC Plan (And Won!) - Beyond 847

Helldivers 2 is a hit, and thanks to its simultaneous PlayStation 5 and PC release, and not only is it the best-selling game of 2024, it’s Sony’s 7th most profitable game in dollar sales, just a couple months since it launched. So, what could go wrong? Well, with Arrowhead Studios’ shooter riding high, some powers-that-be at Sony decided to make the announcement that playing Helldivers 2 on Steam would soon require a PlayStation Network account. Unsurprisingly, the community was not happy about this news, and once again mobilized against a common enemy, though this time, it was unfortunately the game’s Steam reviews. Following this backlash, and the revelation that Helldivers 2 was now made unavailable in 177 territories where PSN isn’t supported, Sony reversed its decision. Live-service games are high risk endeavors to begin with, and Helldivers 2 managed to stake its claim to the time and money of gamers amidst some steep competition. Why mess with it? In other news, Elden Ring is still very good, but you might not be as good as you remember, so it might be prudent to get in fighting shape before Shadow of the Erdtree drops in June. The Fallout Prime Video series is probably better if you know some Fallout lore, but it’s not a requirement, and we discuss the pros and cons of an adaptation that’s directly translating an existing story from another medium, like HBO’s The Last of Us, or one that tells a brand new story in an established universe, like Fallout, and potentially the upcoming Death Stranding movie from A24, as well as the Netflix Horizon series. Most importantly, does Ray-Man wear socks? And how does he eat? We had fun this week, we hope you did too. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ [https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond] (https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond) Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

08 May 2024

54 MINS

54:33

08 May 2024


#723

Sand Land is a Celebration of Akira Toriyama’s Incredible Machines - Beyond 846

This episode, we’re chatting about Sand Land, the open-world (“sandbox”) action RPG based on the late and great Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama’s manga. While it’s got exploration and melee combat and sidequests, at its core Sand Land is all about its vehicles, which are playable and heavily customizable versions of some of Toriyama’s coolest creations. We reflect on the toyetic kitbashed aspect of the game as well as the charm of cel-shading compared to realistic graphics. Plus, Stellar Blade’s new game plus patch and Fallout 4’s next gen update both dropped, the former jam-packed with bonus costumes and added content, the latter with technical hiccups and confusing issues for PlayStation Plus subscribers. A couple other recent games caught our attention, Another Crab’s Treasure, which swaps the grim and gloomy trappings of your usual soulslike for colorful undersea fun, while still maintaining a solid challenge. Then there’s Botany Manor, which feels like a game full of Resident Evil puzzles without any of the horror stuff, and Nour which is a pretty and colorful food toy game thing where you throw snacks around. This week, it’s just Max Scoville and Brian Altano. Congratulations, you have read this whole episode description! EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ [https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond] (https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond) Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

01 May 2024

54 MINS

54:30

01 May 2024


#722

Stellar Blade Review Discussion - Beyond 845

Stellar Blade is finally upon us! The verdict? The long-awaited and surprisingly controversial PS5 exclusive from Shift Up solidly delivers on its promise of a visually stunning action game, though it falls short of greatness in a few other areas. IGN’s reviewer Mitchell Saltzman joins us to have a nice spoiler-free chat about what he loved about the game, and what didn’t blow him away. We break down what makes the combat so satisfying, the awesome boss fights, the many collectibles and costumes, but also some of the frustrations, like wonky platforming, convoluted backtracking, and a nothing-burger cast of characters. This week podcast Beyond is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and Mitchell Saltzman. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ [https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond] (https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond) Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

24 Apr 2024

54 MINS

54:30

24 Apr 2024


#721

PS5 Pro: Down The Rabbit Hole With “Project Trinity” Details - Beyond 844

This week, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU creative director, Surgent Studios founder and former assassin Abubakar Salim joins us to discuss his upcoming Metroidvania, and the journey from starring in a video game to developing one. Meanwhile, more PS5 Pro details leak, including its cool codename, “Project Trinity,” continuing the Matrix-esque naming convention started with PSVR’s “Project Morpheus.” Video game monsters are rarely rooted in practical effects, but Stellar Blade’s Naytibas began as clay sculptures from Hee-Cheol Jang, whose previous work includes Bong Joon Ho’s creature features The Host and Okja. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth sales aren’t anywhere near its predecessor’s, which isn’t that surprising when you dig into the different circumstances they released under. If demo downloads are any indication of sales, Stellar Blade should do well, Ratchet & Clank’s Bouncer weapon has been added to the 2016 game in honor of its 8th anniversary. Finally, some cool games are hitting PS+ this month, including Dave The Diver, Animal Well, Nour and Misma Chronicles. Podcast Beyond is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and this week features special guests Abubakar Salim and Max’s disruptive epoxy-stealing toddler. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ [https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond] (https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond) Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit [megaphone.fm/adchoices] (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices) ... Read more

17 Apr 2024

54 MINS

54:30

17 Apr 2024