The Inner Gamer Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

This week Austin is out for his birthday (happy birthday Austin) but Jason and Brett are here to dig into the games. We start with our first look of Mafia: The Old Country. This game takes us back to 1900's Sicily where the Italian mob got its start. You play Enzo working your way up in the family led by the Don  through the hills of beautiful Sicily. The story is great...but does the gameplay follow suit?

We also cover all the highlights from Gamescom 2025 particularly our surprise of the new Lego Batman game coming out in 2026. We were shocked to see Lego take us back to Arkham when Rocksteady couldn't. Additionally, we talk about Resident Evil Requiem, Call of Duty Black Ops 7, Silent Hill f, Ghost of Yotei and more.

Battlefield 6 had their second open beta weekend and we continue to talk about it. We loved the second weekend but not everyone did. We talk about this, the changes Battlefield Studios will be making and what the road to Battlefield 6 looks like as it prepares for release in October.

Lastly, Ubisoft has been quiet this year. After Assassin's Creed: Shadows, not much has released and they didn't even have an Ubisoft Forward. What's going on and what's coming from their studios this year and beyond?

Show Notes:
01:11 - Housekeeping
02:58 - Mafia Returns: What Worked (and Didn’t) in The Old Country
32:26 - Gamescom 2025 Highlights : Lego Batman Stole the Show
57:07 - The Road to Battlefield 6: What’s Changed and What’s Next
1:23:56 - What Happened to Ubisoft? The Silent Year Explained
1:50:01 - Upcoming Video Game Releases

Become a part of the conversation! If you donate $1 or more on Patreon you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels on the server.

Visit our website to find our social channels, check past podcasts and donate to the show.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all of our latest videos as they drop.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Ariana Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

In this episode, we review the new game from Dreamhaven (former Blizzard devs) called Wildgate. It's a PvPvE shooter we're having a blast playing. You and 3 other players pilot a shop through The Reach with other ships in the battle with you. Find the artifact and take it through the Wildgate or destroy all the enemy ships. The moment to moment combat is fantastic and there's a lot of variety to gameplay that keeps us coming back for more.

Grounded 2 is out in early access. This is Obsidian Entertainment's sequel to the survival "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" style game. Now we're in a big park with better graphics, simpler mechanics and tougher enemies...did we mention buggies? 

Battlefield 6 is back! The open beta happened last weekend and we played a ton of it. With this new title in the franchise, we have a return to form with the 4 classes, tighter maps, incredible destruction, fantastic sound and several new mechanics that change the game. This is the Battlefield we've been waiting for!

Lastly, Brett is bummed with Tony Hawk Pro Skater's 3+4. It doesn't live up to the memories he had as a kid. Is the game bad? Or is our memory simply remembering the best parts of the games we played?

Show Notes:
1:06 - Housekeeping
2:05 - Wildgate Review: Ship Heists in Space 
31:52 - Grounded 2: Better in Every Way…Plus Buggies!
54:33 - Battlefield 6: The Destructive Magic is Back 
1:22:26 - Grinding Through Nostalgia: The Problem with Remakes
1:41:33 - Upcoming Video Game Releases

Become a part of the conversation! If you donate $1 or more on Patreon you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels on the server.

Visit our website to find our social channels, check past podcasts and donate to the show.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all of our latest videos as they drop.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Ariana Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

Assassin's Creed Shadows is here! We really enjoyed Valhalla but it was an incredibly long game that had way too much content. The team behind Shadows recognized this and toned it down and brought us a feudal Japan story that is much more focused with an open world that's vast, but managable. The comparisons to Ghost of Tsushima can't be ignored, but this game does manage to find it's own identity. It's not Tsushima by any means but it is a game that brings through a story and a world that feels surprisingly mature for Ubisoft. Is this a new direction for the franchise? We hope so!

We also look at a not-so-good experience with Fragpunk. This is a 5v5 hero shooter akin to Valorant which was inspired by Counter-Strike. The main mode is a plant the bomb style of mode and it's fun, but the game is plagued by predatory microtransactions and gambling style mechanics that it takes away from what is otherwise a good game. 

We also talk extensively about the Nintendo Switch 2 direct. We first discuss the hardware and what all comes with it as well as our feelings toward the price point and the reveals of how much games may cost on the device. We also talk about the games themselves which honestly look amazing. There's a lot of good stuff happening here and if we can stomach the price point of investment, it could be a worthy console to own.

Lastly, Dreamhaven is a studio you may not have heard of, but it's made up of some veteran talent including the former Blizzard CEO and co-founder Mike Morhaime. They had a direct showcasing some new games, one being Wildgate that looks really good and we're wondering...will this bring some of the Blizzard magic back? Only time will tell.

Show Notes:
1:07 - Housekeeping
2:44 - Assassin’s Creed Shadows Review
53:59 - Fragpunk Review
1:21:14 - Nintendo Switch 2: A Mix of Hype and Concern
1:55:43 - Nintendo Switch 2 Games: Off to a Great Start
2:31:48 - Can Dreamhaven Bring Back the Blizzard Magic?
2:49:55 - Upcoming Video Game Releases

Become a part of the conversation! If you donate $1 or more on Patreon you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels on the server.

Visit our website to find our social channels, check past podcasts and donate to the show.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all of our latest videos as they drop.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Ariana Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

We played the open beta for Back 4 Blood, the new game from Turtle Rock Studios. We're excited to see where this game goes but right now it feels like it's missing something. Listen and find out. We also play Nintendo Labo, the part Lego part game that Nintendo brought out in 2018. Brett spent time building some of these cardboard creations and it's surprisingly a blast to build! Unfortunately, we close out with our disappointment in Sea of Thieves. It's not near as good with the new update as we hoped but at least the Adventure mode is still fun.

In the news, Blizzard's President has left, Ghost of Tsushima Legends is going standalone and the Epic Games Store was crazy expensive. We also heard some news that South Park is bringing a new game, a series of new seasons and more.

In our discussion, we talk about the state of microtransactions.  We used to be big against microtransactions but our idea has since shifted over time as they've developed. With the introduction of Battle Passes and clearer purchases, we've found ourselves investing more in them as they bring out more exciting content. However, the question still remains...are these content packs taking away from our original story content?

Check out video clips of our news every week over on YouTube.

Show Notes:
4:05 - Back 4 Blood Beta
37:39 - Nintendo Labo
48:55 - Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life
1:00:31 - Ghosts of Tsushima Legends, South Park and Epic Games Store
1:29:29 - The State of Microtransactions
1:51:45 - Upcoming Video Game Releases

Become a part of the conversation! Join our Discord server today. If you donate $1 or more you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels in the server.

The Inner Gamer is a podcast built for the casual gamer. Your weekly dose of video game news, reviews, opinions and discussions every Tuesday. Like what you hear? Share our podcast with your friends! Also, be sure and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave us a review! You can find all of our social channels and contact us on The Inner Gamer website.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Arie Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

Become a part of the conversation! If you donate $1 or more on Patreon you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels on the server.

Visit our website to find our social channels, check past podcasts and donate to the show.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all of our latest videos as they drop.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Ariana Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

We invite our friend Travis on to talk about Amazon's new MMO New World. It's a brand new MMORPG from Amazon Game Studios and we're surprised at how good it is! We played well over 10 hours each and got a good in-depth look at the gameplay, leveling system, world building and more.

In the news we discuss EA Play, the Annapurna Showcase and Ubisoft's new Tom Clancy Game xDefiant.

With all the chaos coming out of Blizzard and their sexual harassment suit, we look back at the fall of Blizzard dating back to 2018. A lot has happened and little of it has been good, can they bring themselves back up and survive in the future?

Check out video clips of our news every week over on YouTube.

Show Notes:
2:55 - New World Beta Impressions
50:34 - EA Play, Annapurna Interactive and xDefiant
1:31:36 - The Fall and Future of Blizzard
1:57:25 - Upcoming Video Game Releases

Become a part of the conversation! Join our Discord server today. If you donate $1 or more you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels in the server.

The Inner Gamer is a podcast built for the casual gamer. Your weekly dose of video game news, reviews, opinions and discussions every Tuesday. Like what you hear? Share our podcast with your friends! Also, be sure and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave us a review! You can find all of our social channels and contact us on The Inner Gamer website.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Arie Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

Become a part of the conversation! If you donate $1 or more on Patreon you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels on the server.

Visit our website to find our social channels, check past podcasts and donate to the show.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all of our latest videos as they drop.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Ariana Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

We’re back from our 2 week hiatus with lots to talk about! We jump into Scarlet Nexus, a new JRPG and Loop Hero, a cookie clicker kind of game that’s a ton of fun. We also return to some old games such as Apex Legends and Marvel’s Avengers as we prep for the new Wakonda expansion.

In the news, we talk about State of Play from PlayStation and Nacon Connect featuring the reveal of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. We also explore what Assassin’s Creed Infinity could be and more details from Battlefield 2042.

In our discussion, we look at the newly announced Nintendo Switch OLED vs. the Steam Deck from Valve. Which one will you get?

Check out video clips of our news every week over on YouTube.

Show Notes:
3:05 - Scarlet Nexus
19:46 - Loop Hero
33:06 - Apex Legends
43:59 - Hackers Hack Apex Legends Over Titanfall 2 Hackers
49:48 - Apex Legends Arena Mode
58:04 - Marvel’s Avengers: It’s still addicting
1:15:37 - AC Infinity, Solar Crown, State of Play and Battlefield 2042
1:57:22 - The Bonus Level (Patreon Exclusive Content)
2:11:33 -The Handheld Gaming Wars
2:48:34 - Upcoming Video Game Releases

Become a part of the conversation! Join our Discord server today. If you donate $1 or more you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels in the server.

The Inner Gamer is a podcast built for the casual gamer. Your weekly dose of video game news, reviews, opinions and discussions every Tuesday. Like what you hear? Share our podcast with your friends! Also, be sure and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave us a review! You can find all of our social channels and contact us on The Inner Gamer website.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Arie Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

Become a part of the conversation! If you donate $1 or more on Patreon you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels on the server.

Visit our website to find our social channels, check past podcasts and donate to the show.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all of our latest videos as they drop.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Ariana Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

Mario Golf Super Rush is the new Mario Golf game on the Nintendo Switch. It comes with new characters,  different environments and a few new game modes like Speed Golf and Battle Golf. We also try the new DLC for Sea of Thieves. It's called A Pirate's Life and is a crossover with Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean! 

In the news, we talk about Sony acquiring Housemarque and the announcement of Ghost of Tsushima's Director's Cut. We also take a look at rumors of a new Control multiplayer.

In the discussion, we talk about a topic submitted by a reviewer on Apple Podcasts. Fox asked about us exploring game mechanics that are commonplace today and where they were introduced.  We cover everything from Zelda to Deus Ex. Thanks for the feedback! 

Check out video clips of our news every week over on YouTube.

Show Notes:
5:03 - Mario Golf Super Rush
18:53 - Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life
37:48 - Housemarque, Ghost of Tsushima and Multiplayer Control
1:02:50 - Bonus Level - Bioware’s New Expansion for Star Wars The Old Republic
1:12:42 - What game mechanics were first introduced in a game that changed gaming?
1:42:51 - Upcoming Video Game Releases

Become a part of the conversation! Join our Discord server today. If you donate $1 or more you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels in the server.

The Inner Gamer is a podcast built for the casual gamer. Your weekly dose of video game news, reviews, opinions and discussions every Tuesday. Like what you hear? Share our podcast with your friends! Also, be sure and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave us a review! You can find all of our social channels and contact us on The Inner Gamer website.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Arie Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

Become a part of the conversation! If you donate $1 or more on Patreon you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels on the server.

Visit our website to find our social channels, check past podcasts and donate to the show.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all of our latest videos as they drop.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Ariana Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart has been beat. Both Austin and Brett have completed it and decided to jump into a spoilercast talking about the deeper beats of the story. NOTE: SPOILER WARNING. We do spoil the ending so if you haven't beat it, skip ahead to the news segment.

In the news we talk about the reveal of Windows 11. It has integrations with Game Pass even more, Microsoft Teams integration, a clean UI and much more. We also speculate on the fan-favorite coming from EA at EA Play in July and talk about the seasonal story content for Halo Infinite Multiplayer.

Our discussion revisits Apple Arcade. It's been quite lately without many new updates and we're wondering if the service will ever see huge success. It seems to be making Apple some money, but we don't hear of any popular titles on the platform and wonder why.

Check out video clips of our news every week over on YouTube.

Show Notes:
1:48 - Battlefield 4
5:14 - Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (SPOILERS)
24:41 - Windows 11, EA Play and Halo Infinite Multiplayer
50:58 - Revisiting Apple Arcade: Will It Come Back?

Become a part of the conversation! Join our Discord server today. If you donate $1 or more you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels in the server.

The Inner Gamer is a podcast built for the casual gamer. Your weekly dose of video game news, reviews, opinions and discussions every Tuesday. Like what you hear? Share our podcast with your friends! Also, be sure and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave us a review! You can find all of our social channels and contact us on The Inner Gamer website.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Arie Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

Become a part of the conversation! If you donate $1 or more on Patreon you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels on the server.

Visit our website to find our social channels, check past podcasts and donate to the show.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all of our latest videos as they drop.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Ariana Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is here on the PlayStation 5! We played through the full game and have a lot to say about it. Could it be game of the year? With awesome gameplay mechanics, innovative weapons and beautiful graphics this game is  near perfect. 

We finish up our E3 2021 recap with  the remaining video game conventions. We look at Day of the Devs and the indie games showcase, Upload VR and even the Future Games Show. We close things out with the Nintendo Direct featuring announcements like Mario Party Superstars, Metroid Dread and Breath of the Wild 2.

Check out video clips of our news every week over on YouTube.

Show Notes:
6:13 - Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
40:18- Day of the Devs, Future Games Show, Nintendo Direct and More
1:56:48 - Upcoming Video Game Releases

Become a part of the conversation! Join our Discord server today. If you donate $1 or more you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels in the server.

The Inner Gamer is a podcast built for the casual gamer. Your weekly dose of video game news, reviews, opinions and discussions every Tuesday. Like what you hear? Share our podcast with your friends! Also, be sure and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave us a review! You can find all of our social channels and contact us on The Inner Gamer website.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Arie Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

Become a part of the conversation! If you donate $1 or more on Patreon you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels on the server.

Visit our website to find our social channels, check past podcasts and donate to the show.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all of our latest videos as they drop.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Ariana Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

This week is all about E3 2021! No new games to discuss but instead we're highlighting some of the top showcases. We cover Xbox/Bethesda, Square Enix, Ubisoft, Devolver Digital, Back 4 Blood and the Summer Games Fest.

We also have a discussion topic around the Battlefield 2042 reveal trailer and gameplay. We're super excited about this and can't wait to dive into this when it releases this October. 

Stay tuned for next week when we talk more E3 including Nintendo and the PC Gaming Show!

Check out video clips of our news every week over on YouTube.

Show Notes:
02:51 - Summer Games Fest
28:23 - Ubisoft Forward
50:40 - Gearbox Showcase
51:17 - Devolver MaxPass Plus Showcase
55:52 - Xbox and Bethesda Showcase
1:26:38 - Square Enix Summer Showcase
1:36:39 - Back 4 Blood PVP Reveal
1:39:44 - The Battlefield 2042 Reveal and Our Favorite Battlefield Trailers
2:08:45 - Upcoming Video Game Releases

Become a part of the conversation! Join our Discord server today. If you donate $1 or more you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels in the server.

The Inner Gamer is a podcast built for the casual gamer. Your weekly dose of video game news, reviews, opinions and discussions every Tuesday. Like what you hear? Share our podcast with your friends! Also, be sure and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave us a review! You can find all of our social channels and contact us on The Inner Gamer website.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Arie Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64

Become a part of the conversation! If you donate $1 or more on Patreon you can get exclusive access to the Patreon-only chat and channels on the server.

Visit our website to find our social channels, check past podcasts and donate to the show.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all of our latest videos as they drop.

Credits:
"Blue Groove Deluxe" by BlueFoxMusic on audiojungle.net
Woman Announcer - Ariana Guerra; Actress
"Wisdom" by Super Nostalgia 64