CORE - Core Gaming for Core Gamers – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Sometimes, it’s visually startling.

Crimson Desert launched today, reviews are mixed as expected, amazing open world, minimal story, no traditional leveling, open-world jank. John is at Disneyland! DLSS 5 announced by Nvidia, AI-yassifies characters without permission from devs like Capcom. Listener indie game Garden and a Goat announced, wishlistable on Steam. WoW Midnight discussion, level boosts are hard without knowing your class…but maybe no more? Pinball FX Williams Collection recommended, Pinball Map app finds nearby machines. Evoker alt class tried and abandoned. And loads more!

GAMES WE PLAYED

SCOTT

World of Warcraft: Midnight - I have alt-itus in a big way, when I should be working on my ilvl. Also the Prey System is awesome I think.

Dice with Death - Rad little dice-based roguelike that has a pretty good hold on me. I love dice games.

Collector’s Cove - cozy farm and builder sim that is unique in a load of ways.

JON

Jon is OUT! Probably somehow playing RE9 again from his hotel room for all we know.

REMINDER check out his commentary playthrough on Patreon and Substack, with the first hour out for everyone.

BEAU

more Slay the Spire 2

big Timberborn 1.0 session

got into d4 season of slaughter after all

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So, now that Highguard is out, what the hell is it? We have takes. Also, the games of Feb, new Mario trailers, Dispatch censorship worries, Hasbro up to no good, Bobby with a Mini Instance chat about the Midnight pre-patch and upcoming launch in WoW, all the games we played and more!

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Shared Play

- Highguard

Scott

- V Rising

- Caravan SandWitch

Jon

- Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

Beau

- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

- Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

- Cobalt Core

- Jump Space

- Enshrouded

Let’s talk about the Xbox showcase today, as well as the dust up over CDProjekt Red and VR mods. Plus RE getting yet another remake, Highguard getting a freebie, Marathon maybe doing ok afterall, and Nintendo getting you guy another weird toy.

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GAMES PLAYED:

SCOTT

Star Wars Dark Forces Remaster

Fire Emblem: Engage

Terra Pit

JON

Final Fantasy VII Remake

BEAU

Elden Ring

Shinobi

Guild Wars Reforged

Pirate Yakuza

Heroes of the Storm

Peak

Where the heck is Highguard? Also, Kratos has been cast, RE:R got showcased today, Tomb Raider series gives us a look at Sophie Turner in the role, Ubisoft doing more Ubisoft things, we have an end date for New World, the end of Anthem this week, and more.

We played Cozy Caravan, Marble’s Marbles, Find my Buddy, OddCore, Trails in The Sky 1st Chap, FF VII remake, Yakuza Kiwami 2, FFI and IV, and a little Yakuza Pirates. Plus your emails and more!

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Scott sits down with Warren Davis for a deep look at the creation of one of the great arcade games of all time, Q*Bert, as well as his direct impact on everything from the Joust seires to Mortal Kombat to Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Check out his book: ‘Creating Q*bert and Other Classic Video Arcade Games’! Some amazing insight in this episode with Warren, and we hope enjoy it!

Subs get this today! (Unlocks for free on Friday the 16th!)

January Releases: Let’s mostly focus on Animal Crossing and FFVII Remake for Switch 2, plus Code Vein 2 and Highguard. (yeah, we kinda forgot about Highguard too.)

StarCraft Shooter coming to Blizzcon? It might be Blizzard’s third attempt at a SC shooter, reportedly an open-world project led by Dan Hay (Far Cry fame).

Other stuff: Awesome Games Done Quick, a Starfield Star Wars conversion, and FF Tactics: Ivalice Chronicles hitting 1 million players.

We discuss games we played this week, including PlippUp, Fallout 4/New Vegas, Trails in the Sky, The Séance of Blake Manor, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Voidigo and beating Powerwash Simulator 2.

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It’s time for our anual personal and group awards for the games of the last year, and a few that are not. :) Join Scott Beau and Jon as they look back and forward and somehow up and down as well. Oh and this is the first time this gets called The osCORES. Big thx to Taz for the post art! Jump in!

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Group Category #1 - ‘Games We Wish We Played More Award’ in 2025

Scott:

5. Two Point Museum (the DLC mostly)

4. Moonlighter 2

3. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

2. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

1. Expedition 33

Jon:

5. Absolum

4. The Alters

3. Split Fiction

2. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

1. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles

Beau:

5. Hollow Knight: Silksong

4. Sunderfolk

3. ARC Raiders

2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

1. Pirate Yakuza

Scott’s Game of the Year Award Categories!

The Games that Hype Kinda Wrecked for my interest level for now

3. Oblivon Remake

2. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

1. Expedition 33

Top Chore Core Games

3. Farm Together 2

2. Cash Cleaner Simulator

1. Powerwash Sim 2

Werido Games That Made Me Happy

SPECIAL MENTION: A Game About Digging a Hole

3. Cloverpit

2. Mutant League Football II

1. Ball X Pit

Favorite Throwback Vibes

3. Warside

2. Old School Rally

1. Slots & Daggers

Games I loved the most that are not out of early access yet

3. Fumes

2. Rotwood

1. Shapez 2

The Crack Games of the year

3. Diablo IV (late edition)

2. Monster Train 2

1. Shapez 2 (EA)

Biggest Bummers of the Year

3. Date Everything

2. Civ 7

1. Dune Awakening

The games I just could not seem to get finished

3. Avowed

2. Doom The Dark Ages

1. Ghosts of Tsushima

Jon’s Game of the Year Award Categories!

Are you Ready for the Let Down in 2025 Games

Clair Obscur Award: Scott didn’t play it and Beau took too long

5. Final Fantasy XIV

4. The Outer Worlds 2

3. Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection

2. DOOM: The Dark Ages

1. Civilization VII

Jon is Playing What?

Games that hooked me to some degree this year that normally aren’t my thing

Clair Obscur Award: Parry it!

5. Dynasty Warriors Origins

4. Battlefield 6

3. Sonic Racing Crossworlds

2. Hollow Knight Silksong

1. Magic: the Gathering Arena

Best “New” Character of 2025

Favorite characters that debuted (mostly) in 2025

Clair Obscur Award: TIE: Verso & Esquie

5. The Rich Family - Like a Dragon” Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

4. Chronos - Hades 2

3. Pauline - Donkey Kong Bananza

2. Henry - Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

1. Robert Robertson the Third - Dispatch

Jon’s “Indie” Picks of 2025 (The Non-AAA titles that I loved)

These are non-AAA games that didn’t make my top 10 that still deserve some love

Clair Obscur Award: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

5. No, I’m Not a Human!

4. A Game About Digging a Hole

3. Marvel Cosmic Invasion

2. Slots & Daggers

1. The Roottrees are Dead

Jon’s Non-Gaming of 2025

I did consume some non-gaming stuff this year and here is what I liked

Clair Obscur Award: Watching others discover the game

Comics: DC KO/Absolute Universe and Marvel Ultimate Universe show the power of focused storytelling

Streaming: Game Changer on Dropout is an oddly specific sub I love

Television (Animated): Mighty Nein makes this category silly

Television (Live Action): Pluribus proves Vince Gilligan and Team know what they’re doing

Movie: The Naked Gun, but special shout out to Weapons & KPop Demon Hunters

Beau’s Game of the Year Award Categories!

Best 2025 Game Scores

4. Dispatch

3. Hades 2

2. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

1. Final Fantasy Rebirth (PC release Jan 2025, when it was first actually playable)

2025’s Biggest Dissappointments

3. Not enough VR playin on my part!

2. Buying V Rising for friends to play V Rising and they all wimped out because they don’t like vampires.

1. Dune: Awakening

Best Early Access

4. Jump Space

3. Titan Quest 2

2. Fellowship

1. Path of Exile 2

Favorite Characters

5. Henry

4. Esquie

3. Hecate

2. Barrett

1. Invisigal

Group Category #2 - Most Anticipated Games of 2026 (1-3 games)

Scott:

Honorable Mention: GTA6

3. Slay The Spire 2

2. Total War Warhammer 40k

1. Crimson Desert

Jon:

Honorable Mention: Total War Warhammer 40K or Crimson Desert - whichever comes out

3. Pragmata

2. Marvel’s Wolverine

1. Resident Evil Requiem

Beau:

3. Crimson Desert

2. Slay the Spire 2

1. The Expanse: Osiris Reborn

Group Category #3 - Best 2025 Gaming Moments (1-5 news stories, fights, experiences, etc)

Scott:

5. Building out CORE.SHOW and expanding the shows reach and content

4. Having the most possible fun I have had gaming with Carter in Splitfiction.

3. Jon’s suckling teet sound on the show for Nintendo fans.

2. Discovering the video solution that is The Spoiler Baron.

1. Hearing about the Steam Machine made me feel like a little kid.

Jon:

5. Finding new joy in an old favorite (Resident Evil)

4. Being a Final Fantasy fan (lots)

3. Weekly episodes! (Dispatch)

2. Learning, Collecting, and Opening (Magic the Gathering)

1. Discovering a new all time favorite game (Clair Obscur)

Beau:

5. Finishing a year and half BG3 playthrough with friends

4. Getting emotionally blitzed by FF7rebirth

3. Raiding in wow with the CORE guild

2. Watching others play Dispatch

1. Watching magic noobs open Magic cards (Jon, Kyle & Garrett)

Group Category #4 - Best Non-2025 Games of 2025 (1-5 games)

Scott:

5. Hardspace Shipbreaker

4. No Man’s Sky

3. Superliminal

2. Red Faction: Guerrilla

1. Star of Providence

Jon:

Honorable Mention: No Man’s Sky

5. Ghost of Tsushima

4. Resident Evil (OG)

3. Stellar Blade

2. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

1. Final Fantasy XII

Beau:

5. Slay the Spire

4. No Man’s Sky

3. Aliens: Dark Descent

2. V Rising

1. Valheim

The CORE Crew’s Top Games of the Year! (Up to 10)

SCOTT

10. Deep Rock Galactic Survivor

9. Escape Sim 2

8. Jackbox 11 pack

7. Shinobi Art of Vengence (still too early but I stand by it.)

6. Tainted Grail Fall of Avalon

5. Powerwash Simulator 2

4. Hades II

3. Donkey Kong Bananaza

2. Dispatch

1. Spit Fiction

JON

10. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

9. Avowed

8. Megabonk

7. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

6. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

5. Donkey Kong Bananza

4. Hades 2

3. Blue Prince

2. Dispatch

1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

BEAU

10. Ball X Pit

9. Elden Ring: Nightreign

8. Battlefield 6

7. Hollow Knight: Silksong

6. Farthest Frontier

5. DOOM: The Dark Ages

4. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

3. Hades 2

2. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (PC Release date was Jan 23, 2025, when it was first actually playable and not in beta)

1. Dispatch

CORE’s 2025 (Collective) GAMES OF THE YEAR:

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Dispatch

Hades 2

Split Fiction

Donkey Kong Bonanza

Diablo IV: Both Scott and Beau are back in for Season 11. Scott’s “Hot Take” is that the game is officially “very good now”, and he does not care who knows it. (Paladin to 46); Beau claims it’s the best season of “Diablo 3” yet. (lol)

Scott: Revisiting Overload (on sale), playing Escape Room Simulator 2, and starting Banquet for Fools.

Jon: Reached the new area in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and is impressed by the visuals.

Beau: Mostly Jump Space outside of D4 play.

And a CRAP ton of your emails and texts for our last episode of 2025!

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Get your ‘500+ Episodes’ mugs at Frogpants.shop now before its too late!. We recapped The Game Awards: Jon loved Resident Evil Requiem, Scott is into Total War Warhammer 40k, and Beau liked Gang of Dragon. We mostly bounced off Highguard.

News: Steam Winter Sale is live. Fallout Season 2 has started. We discussed Netflix buying WB (details at core.show). Supervive is shutting down after 7 months.

Played: Scott is on Path of Exile 2 and Mutant Football League 2. Jon is trying demos like Pragmata and back in FFXIV. Beau is on Witcher 3 and other sick-friendly games this week.

Ozzfudd notes Scott can finish Far Cry 4 and 5 in minutes via secret endings. Just another Nick suggests Super Fantasy Kingdom. Email us at SHOW@CORE.SHOW!

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