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Breakout

Breakout

By The Escapist

Marty Sliva, Nick Calandra and KC Nwosu discuss any and all cool things going on in pop culture - maybe even discussing some craft beer. Live Wednesdays on YouTube. Audio episodes are made available on Thursday morning.
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Episode 6 - The Game Genres We Just Can't Get Into

BreakoutAug 11, 2021

00:00
01:21:19
The Live Service Bubble Has Burst

The Live Service Bubble Has Burst

This week on Breakout, we're talking all about the recent layoffs, which we believe indicates the live-service bubble has truly burst.

Nov 03, 202301:24:19
Spider-Man 2 and Mario Wonder are How You Do Franchises Right

Spider-Man 2 and Mario Wonder are How You Do Franchises Right

This week on Breakout, we're talking all about Spider-Man 2 and Mario Wonder, and how these are perfect examples of franchises done right.

Oct 28, 202301:36:31
Where Do Soulslike Games Go From Here?

Where Do Soulslike Games Go From Here?

This week on Breakout, we've been playing a lot of soulslikes lately and wonder where the genre goes from here.

Oct 21, 202301:39:09
A Chat with Red Barrels About Outlast and Designing Horror Games

A Chat with Red Barrels About Outlast and Designing Horror Games

This week on Breakout, we interview the development team behind Outlast following the release of their documentary to learn more about the franchise, and making horror games in general!

Oct 13, 202302:06:02
Assassin's Creed Mirage, Forza, Cocoon... Oh My!

Assassin's Creed Mirage, Forza, Cocoon... Oh My!

This week on Breakout, we discuss a bunch of different games we've been playing as 2023 continues to deliver hit after hit.

Oct 05, 202301:36:12
Games That Do Difficulty in Unique Ways

Games That Do Difficulty in Unique Ways

This week on Breakout, we discuss games that do difficulty in interesting ways.

Oct 05, 202302:12:24
What We Learned From the Wild Xbox Leaks

What We Learned From the Wild Xbox Leaks

This week on Breakout, we discuss the big Xbox leaks.

Sep 21, 202301:31:31
Lies of P Is a Fantastic Soulslike

Lies of P Is a Fantastic Soulslike

This week on Breakout, we discuss Lies of P, which is yet another fantastic game in a wave of great games over the past few weeks.

Sep 14, 202301:25:10
Starfield Just Keeps Getting Better the More You Play

Starfield Just Keeps Getting Better the More You Play

This week on Breakout, we discuss Starfield which seems to just keep getting better the more time you put into it.

Sep 08, 202301:40:18
Sea of Stars is as Good as We Were Hoping It Would Be

Sea of Stars is as Good as We Were Hoping It Would Be

This week on Breakout we discuss Sea of Stars, which has completely lived up to our expectations as one of the best indie games of the year.

Aug 31, 202301:34:57
The Overshadowed Games of 2023... So Far

The Overshadowed Games of 2023... So Far

This week on Breakout, we discuss the games we think have been overshadowed by major releases this year... so far.

Aug 24, 202301:37:24
No, Developers Aren't Panicking Over Baldur's Gate 3

No, Developers Aren't Panicking Over Baldur's Gate 3

This week on Breakout, we discuss the current discourse surrounding developers supposedly "panicking" over Baldur's Gate 3, and everything else we've been playing and watching.

Aug 21, 202301:34:55
Baldur's Gate 3 Is A Massive Success Worth Celebrating

Baldur's Gate 3 Is A Massive Success Worth Celebrating

This week on Breakout, we discuss the breakout success of Baldur's Gate 3, the musical indie gem Stray Gods, and we've put some time into Atlas Fallen.

Aug 10, 202301:39:31
Breathing Life Back Into Old Games

Breathing Life Back Into Old Games

This week on Breakout, we discuss the recent trend of a lot of older games suddenly getting revitalized.

Aug 04, 202301:28:41
It Only Takes HOW Many Hours to Get Good?

It Only Takes HOW Many Hours to Get Good?

This week on Breakout, we discuss the games that took a while to click for us, our closing thoughts on Final Fantasy 16 and anything else we come up with. You know the drill.

Jul 27, 202301:42:38
Is the Era of Mind-Blowing Games Over?

Is the Era of Mind-Blowing Games Over?

This week on Breakout, we discuss the games that blew our minds and wonder if that era of games is over.

Jul 20, 202301:42:05
The Microsoft x Activision Acquisition is Almost Complete, What's Next?

The Microsoft x Activision Acquisition is Almost Complete, What's Next?

This week on Breakout, we discuss the recent updates on the Microsoft acquisition of Activision, and what we think that will look like should the CMA approve it.

Jul 13, 202301:47:01
Forget Activision, Xbox Should Bring Back Summer of Arcade

Forget Activision, Xbox Should Bring Back Summer of Arcade

This week on Breakout, we discuss today's news and remember Xbox's great Summer of Arcade initiative.

Jun 29, 202301:37:30
Turns Out Switch Still Has Some Life Left in It

Turns Out Switch Still Has Some Life Left in It

This week on Breakout, we discuss today's Nintendo Direct showcase which signaled the Switch still has some life left in it before the inevitable follow-up console.

Jun 22, 202301:46:56
FF16’s Demo Absolutely Sold Us on the Game

FF16’s Demo Absolutely Sold Us on the Game

This week on Breakout, we discuss the Final Fantasy 16 demo, our thoughts on Summer Games Fest and more.

Jun 15, 202301:37:36
Overall, 2023 Has Been A Pretty Strong Year for Games

Overall, 2023 Has Been A Pretty Strong Year for Games

This week on Breakout, with the year at the half-way point, we discuss the current state of games and how over the last few weeks, things have really started heating up in a great way.

Jun 09, 202301:56:54
The Calm Before the Summer Game Fest Storm

The Calm Before the Summer Game Fest Storm

This week on Breakout, we discuss our predictions for what we'll be seeing during Summer Game Fest which starts next week.

Jun 04, 202301:42:17
The PlayStation Showcase Failed to Provide a Clear Roadmap for the PS5

The PlayStation Showcase Failed to Provide a Clear Roadmap for the PS5

This week on Breakout, we discuss the PlayStation Showcase - what we liked, didn't like and the noticeable lack of any news about first party studios.

May 26, 202301:34:52
Overwatch 2's PvE Mess and Broken Promises from Publishers

Overwatch 2's PvE Mess and Broken Promises from Publishers

This week on Breakout, we discuss the mess that is Overwatch 2 and frequent broken promises from publishers.

May 18, 202302:32:57
The Console Wars Were Over a Long Time Ago

The Console Wars Were Over a Long Time Ago

This week on Breakout, we discuss "console wars" and how they've been over for a long time now and people just haven't seemed to realize it yet.

May 13, 202301:37:56
What's the Deal with So Many AAA Games Having Major Launch Issues? ft. Tina Sanchez

What's the Deal with So Many AAA Games Having Major Launch Issues? ft. Tina Sanchez

This week on Breakout, special guest Tina Sanchez joins Marty, Nick and KC to discuss the launches of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Redfall, as well as other recent AAA games that have really just been unacceptable.

May 04, 202301:47:08
Our Initial Impressions of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Our Initial Impressions of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

This week on Breakout we discuss Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Microsoft's latest hurdle in the ongoing Activision-Blizzard saga, and more.

Apr 28, 202301:38:20
The Weird Old Gaming Trends That We Miss

The Weird Old Gaming Trends That We Miss

This week on Breakout, we discuss the weird, old and dumb gaming trends that we wish would come back in some form.

Apr 20, 202301:35:09
Game Mechanics That We Just Can't Get Enough Of

Game Mechanics That We Just Can't Get Enough Of

This week on Breakout, we discuss our favorite video game mechanics, the news about Redfall only being 30FPS at launch, and whatever other topics come to mind.

Apr 13, 202301:30:53
In 2023, GameCube is Finally Getting the Love it Deserves

In 2023, GameCube is Finally Getting the Love it Deserves

This week on Breakout, we discuss how the Gamecube is finally getting the love it deserves in 2023.

Mar 23, 202301:35:23
We've Finally Gotten to Play Dead Island 2

We've Finally Gotten to Play Dead Island 2

This week on Breakout, we got some hands-on time with Dead Island 2, The Finals, Resident Evil 4 and more.

Mar 16, 202301:33:06
Starfield’s Delay is Absolutely a Good Thing… Mostly

Starfield’s Delay is Absolutely a Good Thing… Mostly

This week on Breakout, we're looking at the Starfield delay and what it means for the year going forward.

Mar 10, 202301:25:48
The Blandness of So Many AAA Games is Impossible to Ignore

The Blandness of So Many AAA Games is Impossible to Ignore

This week on Breakout, we're looking at how so many AAA games of late have cookie cutter design and are just utterly bland.

Mar 02, 202301:26:35
We're Still Thinking About Elden Ring a Year Later

We're Still Thinking About Elden Ring a Year Later

This week on Breakout, we're looking back at Elden Ring which launched one year ago this weekend and has now sold a whopping 20 MILLION copies.

Feb 23, 202301:30:48
Our Initial Impressions of Wild Hearts

Our Initial Impressions of Wild Hearts

This week on Breakout, we're discussing a bunch of games we've been playing including Wild Hearts, Wanted: Dead, Hogwarts and more.

Feb 16, 202301:27:31
2023 is Starting to Feel like the Swan Song for the Switch

2023 is Starting to Feel like the Swan Song for the Switch

This week on Breakout, we're discussing today's Nintendo Direct.

Feb 09, 202301:31:56
Why It Took 3 Years to Learn to Love Death Stranding

Why It Took 3 Years to Learn to Love Death Stranding

This week on Breakout, Nick has finally played and finished Death Stranding, 343 Industries is getting a reboot and we've been playing a lot of great games in January.

Feb 03, 202301:36:25
It's Okay for Some Games to Just Be Okay

It's Okay for Some Games to Just Be Okay

This week on Breakout we're taking a look at Games as a Service titles following the leak that yet another game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, has a battle pass included.

Jan 26, 202301:36:13
Dear Games Industry, Please Chill on Games as a Service

Dear Games Industry, Please Chill on Games as a Service

This week on Breakout we're taking a look at Games as a Service titles following the leak that yet another game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, has a battle pass included.

Jan 19, 202301:44:46
Is 2023 The Year PlayStation Finally Gets Back to Multiplayer Games?

Is 2023 The Year PlayStation Finally Gets Back to Multiplayer Games?

This week on Breakout we're taking a look at Sony's upcoming slate of games, with a focus on their big investments into new multiplayer games after years of focusing strictly on single player adventures.

Jan 12, 202351:30
Our 2023 Gaming Goals

Our 2023 Gaming Goals

This week on Breakout we're talking about our gaming plans for 2023.

Jan 05, 202301:44:20
Our Favorite Games of 2022

Our Favorite Games of 2022

This week on Breakout we're talking about our favorite games of the year for 2022.

Dec 22, 202201:37:45
Xbox's Lack of Communication About First Party Titles is Backfiring

Xbox's Lack of Communication About First Party Titles is Backfiring

This week on Breakout we're talking about Xbox, and how 2022 has been a very quiet year for the platform that's failed to instill much confidence despite all the investment and previous announcements made.

Dec 15, 202201:25:36
What to Expect from 2022's 'The Game Awards'

What to Expect from 2022's 'The Game Awards'

This week on Breakout we're talking about The Game Awards, which airs tomorrow!

Dec 08, 202201:43:22
Have Video Game Adaptations Finally Stopped Being Terrible?

Have Video Game Adaptations Finally Stopped Being Terrible?

This week on Breakout we're talking about video game adaptations in media, along with a discussion about the expectations of live service AAA games which have more often than not recently had really rough launches.

Dec 01, 202201:37:05
The Callisto Protocol's Paywalled Death Animations Are a New Low

The Callisto Protocol's Paywalled Death Animations Are a New Low

This week on Breakout we're talking about season passes and The Callisto Protocol specifically locking down content for a linear single player game...

Nov 24, 202201:34:58
Did Elden Ring Deserve to be Nominated for Best Narrative?

Did Elden Ring Deserve to be Nominated for Best Narrative?

This week on Breakout we're talking Elden Ring and the debate around its "Best Narrative" nomination at The Game Awards.

Nov 18, 202201:51:52
AAA Season is Here and It's a Mixed Bag

AAA Season is Here and It's a Mixed Bag

This week on Breakout we're talking about our early impressions of God of War: Ragnarök, Sonic Frontiers, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and more.

Nov 10, 202201:33:60
PSVR 2 at $550 is Dead on Arrival

PSVR 2 at $550 is Dead on Arrival

This week on Breakout we're taking about the price point of PSVR 2 and why we think it will be dead on arrival. We've also been playing a bunch of the latest releases, as our backlogs re-fill as we head towards the end of the year.

Nov 03, 202201:40:26
In Defense of "Certain" Remakes

In Defense of "Certain" Remakes

This week on Breakout we're talking about remakes following the announcements of the Silent Hill 2, The Witcher and more being remade. We'll also provide some recommendations on spooky games to play for Halloween.

Oct 27, 202201:51:24