For as long as there have been video games, there have been remakes of video games. Today, some five decades into the history of our industry, the market for rereleases and remasters is thriving, and some of players' most-anticipated games -- like Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII Remake -- are old products made new. To celebrate our love of the classics, let's take some time to go over our 10 most wanted remakes, games that can be served best by not only being repackaged, but reimagined entire...
2019-11-01 16:00:04 +0000 UTC
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The ESA and the Politics of Gaming!
2019-11-01 06:00:02 +0000 UTC
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In middle school and high school, the house party -- or your local equivalent -- was a rite of passage. It's when you got away from the doldrums of secondary academia, socialized with your peers away from the prying ears and curious eyes of teachers and parents, and perhaps even indulged in some age-inappropriate pastimes. Indeed, it's all a tale as old as growing up itself. Today's episode of KnockBack is dedicated to cracking open the now-dusty party time memories of our youth, the good and...
2019-10-31 16:01:02 +0000 UTC
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Lobbyin'.
2019-10-30 18:26:02 +0000 UTC
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Today's guest is named Darren MacNally, and Darren has been on a pretty interesting voyage these past few years. One day a little over a decade ago, he fell in love with Creative Assembly's long-running Total War gaming franchise, and even parlayed that passion into a job at the developer for a time. But Darren's true passion is actually in making content surrounding strategy games, not in making the games themselves, and he pursues that passion on YouTube. What makes a creator like Darren ti...
2019-10-30 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Obsidian's all-new open world RPG The Outer Worlds is a blatant (and in some ways even shameless) ode to its 2010 cult hit Fallout: New Vegas... and it should come as no surprise that it's pretty damn good. So let's spend some time talking about why, and celebrate the many things it does so very right. But let's also not neglect the news! The Last of Us: Part II has been delayed, Ubisoft admits its recent critical and commercial reception has been tepid, Fallout 76 gets perhaps the most unpop...
2019-10-29 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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With so many good inquiries coming through the Sacred Symbols inbox, it's quite literally impossible to keep up with them all on the 'regular' show. So we've been stowing them away in a spare Google Doc for rainy days, and today Colin (that's me!) returns with another handful of excellent questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas submitted over the last couple of months that we couldn't fit within the confines of our usual madness. Questions about emotional gaming and inverting the Y...
2019-10-25 16:01:02 +0000 UTC
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Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki brings a fantastical flair to all of his work, but out of Studio Ghibli's entire roster of films, 2001's Spirited Away might be the weirdest and more extraordinary of all. Steeped in Shinto symbolism and vague in its message, Chihiro's misadventure is enchanting in its imagery and sometimes even sudden in its harshness, and it -- like all Ghibli flicks -- is more than deserving of a little KnockBack-style attention. So grab a handful of bath tokens and...
2019-10-24 16:00:04 +0000 UTC
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It might be easy to poke a little fun at massage therapy, what with the easy Happy Ending jokes and all. But in reality, the art of relaxation is a serious endeavor, especially here in the 21st century, as people around the world become more aware of their bodies, and the curative qualities unorthodox treatments bubble to the forefront. Today's guest, David Merlino, is a professional massage therapist. Well, he was, anyway. These days, he primarily plies his trade as an instructor and author,...
2019-10-23 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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As we settle into the fall months, rumors abound. A new photograph seems to confirm the v-shaped PS5 dev kit design that was earlier making the rounds, much to our chagrin. But does it actually matter? Guerrilla Games is mo-capping, while Sony Bend is pre-producing. But should we be surprised? The US Congress has officially put Activision-Blizzard on notice over its behavior regarding Hong Kong and China. But will it be enough to bring change? Plus: Fallen Order goes gold, League of Legends i...
2019-10-22 16:00:03 +0000 UTC
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With 1.4 billion citizens and counting, China isn't only the world's most populated country, but home to nearly one-in-five human beings anywhere on Earth. It's a political, cultural, and economic powerhouse with a rapidly-increasing standard of living, a widening middle class, and immense pull on the world stage. It also happens to be a one-party communist dictatorship, one that doggedly persecutes religious minorities, manipulates its currency to hurt its trading partners, and actively thre...
2019-10-18 16:00:03 +0000 UTC
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There's nothing quite like a good mob movie, and when it comes to 1990's Goodfellas, there are few better. Based on a authoritative, journalist-written book drawing from historic experiences and events, and played by a series of actors mimicking their real-world counterparts perfectly, Goodfellas is one of the most quotable and beloved films of any kind in the last few decades. DeNiro. Pesci. Liotta. Sorvino. Brocco. These are powerful names in film and television, particularly when it comes ...
2019-10-17 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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For many married couples, having children is a huge part of The Plan. But what happens when biology doesn't cooperate, and you're left unable to have kids like you counted on? This week's guests -- The Mayberrys -- have special insight into an issue that affects millions of couples the world over. While they were ultimately able to overcome the hurdles in front of them and get pregnant (after many thousands of dollars spent on medical care), the journey wasn't easy. In fact, there were plenty...
2019-10-16 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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We were spoiled last week, what with lots of new PlayStation 5 details to obsess over. But Sony has another piece of PS-themed hardware that's worthy of next-gen attention, and no, we're not talking about a third handheld (which is surprising, since we talk about Vita constantly). PlayStation VR was launched just about three years ago, and some five million units later, it has quietly found its way into the living rooms of one-in-twenty PS4 owners. Now, thanks to some patent leaks and tech an...
2019-10-15 16:00:05 +0000 UTC
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The last quarter of a console generation is always fascinating, because we get to watch console manufacturers simultaneously tackle two separate problems. On the one hand, the likes of Sony have to put their last-gen machine to rest, while on the other, they need to convince the enthusiast market to take a chance on their shiny new, unproven hardware. This week's episode of Plus is dedicated to this threading-of-the-needle, particularly in regard to what's next. PlayStation 5 is just about a ...
2019-10-11 16:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Like horror, the science fiction genre simply wasn't taken very seriously until well into film history. By the 1970s, though, specific pieces of cinematic sci-fi were beginning to distance themselves from the schlock that dominated decades past, and Alien should certainly be counted amongst the most notable of the group. Buttressed by good writing, excellent cinematography, and a frightening atmosphere, Alien still stands out more than 40 years later as an example of how to do sci-fi right, p...
2019-10-10 16:01:02 +0000 UTC
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We've been calling Sony's next-gen console PlayStation 5 for quite some time now, but we weren't sure that's what it would actually be named. Now, we know PS5 is indeed PS5, and along with that news comes lots of fresh details straight from the horse's mouth. From the console's release window to the nature of DualShock 5, there's a whole lot to talk about, and we do just that. Also: Activision-Blizzard appeases communists, Doom Eternal has been delayed, PS4's firmware livens-up the party, and...
2019-10-09 16:00:05 +0000 UTC
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John Shehan is a 24 year old man who first realized he was gay when he was six, but only came out to his friends and family very recently. Today's episode of Fireside Chats is dedicated to his story, and how he found himself after years of self-doubt and anxiety. The outcome of his journey has been undoubtedly positive, yet the road he walked was an emotionally harrowing one. Thankfully, his experience can serve as an uplifting reminder for all of us of staying power and belief.
2019-10-08 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Buzz Aldrin would be ashamed.
2019-10-07 23:06:05 +0000 UTC
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In years past, the fall and winter months were when most of the games you actually wanted to play would come out. That's not exactly true anymore -- solid games worthy of your attention launch year-round these days -- but there's still something special about the 12 or so weeks leading up to the New Year. For this week's episode of Sacred Symbols+, we thought we'd delve into what October, November, and December have in store for us, and go deep on 10 games we're excited about. From AAA to ind...
2019-10-04 16:00:04 +0000 UTC
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For many of us, high school was a bizarre experience, particularly in hindsight. It turns out that much of what we cared a great deal about in our teens doesn't actually matter whatsoever, but when you're there -- in the moment and living that life -- the gravity is all too real. 2007's Superbad -- starring Jonah Hill and Michael Cera -- celebrates that reality, from the seeming hopelessness of young romance to the pursuit of all-important booze. It also doesn't hurt that the film is incredib...
2019-10-03 16:00:03 +0000 UTC
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If you didn't know, I'm obsessed with space and space travel, and obviously, Fireside Chats couldn't possibly end without having someone from the space industry on our show. Let's call today's guest John Doe, an engineer who works at a major American aerospace corporation on projects for NASA (and others), and not surprisingly, he has a lot of interesting stories to tell. What are we doing right this very second to achieve the space travel of our dreams, and what do the near and faraway futur...
2019-10-02 18:25:22 +0000 UTC
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We recorded this week's podcast, flipped off the microphones, and went on Twitter, where we discovered a surprise piece of late-breaking news: Shawn Layden is leaving Sony. Layden used to be CEO of the American branch of PlayStation, and most recently held the position as Head Honcho of PlayStation's fully-owned, first party studios. So let's discuss his departure (albeit briefly, because we don't have all the answers yet). Beyond all of that, though, is our usual run of show, an episode litt...
2019-10-01 16:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Colin's Last Stand's completely unintentional (yet still expertly-timed) The Last of Us Week concludes with an episode of Sacred Symbols+ all about The Last of Us: Part II. Over the past few days, a deluge of information concerning the eagerly-awaited sequel has been released, including the game's release date, myriad hands-on impressions, lots of new dev interviews, and much more. Yet, fans of all things Joel and Ellie want more, and we now have plenty of information from which to speculate....
2019-09-27 16:01:02 +0000 UTC
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Don't lose your head.
2019-09-26 19:57:16 +0000 UTC
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It took a while for PlayStation 3 to really get going, but when it did, it graced players with a slew of amazing exclusive games that solidified the console's place in industry history. Interestingly enough, though, it was one of its very last exclusives -- launched in the shadow of PlayStation 4 -- that easily takes the cake as PS3's best game. Naughty Dog's The Last of Us came out in the early summer of 2013, and immediately bowled over millions of gamers around the world with its incredibl...
2019-09-26 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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The silence surrounding The Last of Us: Part II has been somewhat deafening, what with PlayStation 5 hurtling toward us on the horizon and PS4's most important and anticipated exclusive still unreleased. Our patience has been rewarded with precious new information, however, including the game's release date, and there's a whole lot to discuss, including for all you Joel fanboys and fangirls out there. Then: Borderlands 3 sells big (with seven out of ten copies purchased digitally), Sony promi...
2019-09-25 16:00:04 +0000 UTC
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At Boise State University in Idaho, a small group of college students in a program called Games, Interactive Media, and Mobile Technology work quietly on prototypes and projects that could very well be The Next Big Thing in gaming. To represent the school and the program, welcome Nicholai Cascio to Fireside Chats. Cascio is an aspiring game designer eager to talk about the craft, the future of gaming, what he's been working on, and just what it takes to make a game from stem to stern, alongsi...
2019-09-24 16:00:02 +0000 UTC
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"Video Game Critic" is a cartoonish job title on the face of it, but in reality, it can be a pretty weighty gig, particularly if you work at a large outlet. Thousands -- or tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, and sometimes even millions -- look to the world's biggest gaming sites and publications for advice on how to spend their hard-earned dollars, and frankly, it just doesn't seem like the powers-that-be take that role too seriously. As we dig through the mailbag this week, we disc...
2019-09-20 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Yes, it's true: There's a lot to love about the 1970s. But the reality is, it was kind of a down decade. Unemployment was high, and inflation was, too. An oil embargo crippled western economies. The peace and love of the '60s rapidly gave way to stagnation, corruption, and agitation. By 1980, people were ready to break free, and they did just that. Buttressed by a technological boom and a rapidly recovering market, the '80s were a time of excess, a time to be loud and bold. The music, movies,...
2019-09-19 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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