Kotaku Splitscreen

Episode 168: BioWare's Anthem is out! But is it any good? First up, the Splitscreen crew talks about the games they've been playing, like Bloodborne, Tetris 99, and Far Cry New Dawn. Then it's time for a breakdown of BioWare's new loot shooter (31:16), which Kirk and Jason have both been playing. They discuss Anthem's many bugs, the problems with EA's early access program, and how the game generally looks and feels. Finally, off-topic chat on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Russian Doll, and Bohemian Rhapsody.Show notesMusic pick of the week: “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen from their 1975 album A Night At The OperaLindsay Ellis - 'Independence Day vs. War of the Worlds': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KioF1sTQFtEJake Kaufman & Tommy Pedrini - Final Fantasy VI 'The Impresario': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xFhULStbkQ

It's Nintendo Direct week, and you know what that means: Everything old is new again. First, Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about the games they've been playing, from Danganronpa to Bloodborne. Then they talk about Nintendo's big announcements including Super Mario Maker 2, Box Boy+Box Girl, and a remake of Link's Awakening (22:31), and close off the show by talking Sex Education, Big Mouth, and other shows they've been enjoying (49:43). Kirk's music pick of the week: “Dancing Queen” by ABBA from their 1976 album Arrival Kotaku's music pick of the week Spotify playlist 

Maddy, Jason and Kirk take the stage at the Bell House in Brooklyn, NY for a live episode of Kotaku Splitscreen. They talk Apex Legends, Battle Royale games in general, Mario vs. Zelda, and take a bunch of audience questions. Thanks to everyone who came out!

Maddy, Kirk, and Jason unite to talk about the many games they've been playing, including Resident Evil 2, Wargroove, Bloodborne, and Destiny 2. Then they take a deep dive into Kingdom Hearts (34:01), debating over whether the story is convoluted, analyzing why people love it so much, and dissecting the pros and cons of the brand new Kingdom Hearts III. Finally, off topic talk (1:06:45) on the Fyre Festival documentaries and Happy Endings. Music pick of the week: “Use It” by The New Pornographers from their 2005 album “Twin Cinema”

Jason, Kirk, and Maddy open up the mailbag to answer some of your great questions on Bloodborne, video game music, the cults of personality that surround the video game industry, our dream Assassin's Creed settings, and much, much more. Plus: NFL playoff stories! Music pick of the week: “Green Lights” by Sarah Jarosz from her 2016 album “Undercurrent” (video here)

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason unite to talk about one of the wildest video game news weeks in recent memory! First they talk about the games they're playing, including Resident Evil 2, Danganronpa, and Destiny 2. Then they dissect this week's news (32:41) on Bungie ditching Activision, the messy Gearbox lawsuit, and EA canceling its open-world Star Wars game. They close things off with off-topic talk (1:18:58) and the NFL playoff story of the week. Music pick: “Overtime” by Knower, from their YouTube channel (seriously, watch it!) 

Maddy, Jason, and Kirk talk about Pokemon Let's Go Eevee, Destiny 2, Crosscode, and Bloodborne before listing their video game predictions for 2019 (38:22). Each one makes 10 predictions, and whoever gets the most right throughout the year will get to force the other two to play a game of his or her choice. Then on off topic talk (1:03:13), Orphan Black, trackpads, and one wild football story. Music pick of the week: “Thriller” by Michael Jackson from his 1982 album of the same name 

On the very first Kotaku Splitscreen of 2019, Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about the games they've been playing to kick off the year, including CrossCode, Life Is Strange Season 2, and Minit. Then Kirk and Jason revisit their 2018 predictions (34:19) to figure out who won their big yearlong bet and gets to force the other to play a game of their choice. Finally, off-topic talk (52:09) on Into The Spider-Verse, Vice, Widows, Happy Endings, and The Fifth Risk. Music pick of the week: Vulfpeck, “Animal Spirits,” from their 2016 album The Beautiful Game   

It's time for the biggest episode of Splitscreen ever as Kirk, Maddy, and Jason gather for part two of Every Game We Played In 2018, starting with June and July, then August and September (42:28), October (1:13:37), and then November and December (1:47:20). The team discusses dozens of games this week, from Hollow Knight to Sushi Striker to Return of the Obra Dinn to... well, many, many more.

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy unite for Splitscreen's annual GOTY coverage! This week it's all the games we played from January through May, including Dragon Ball Fighter Z, Celeste, Secret of Mana, Into The Breach, Far Cry 5, A Way Out, God of War, Pillars of Eternity 2, Monster Prom, and much more. Next week: June through December.

Everything changes on today's episode of Kotaku Splitscreen. We start off the episode with a very special surprise, followed by some discussion of games like Celeste, Obra Dinn, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (33:28). Then The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley joins the show (48:34) to talk about the success of last week's show, how he puts together his exclusive reveals, and why he chose to support the streamer Ninja. Finally, off-topic talk and Kirk's music pick of the week (1:15:25). Show notes: Kirk's Music Pick Of The Week: Beyoncé, “Single Ladies,” from her 2008 album I Am… Sasha Fierce [Also examined on this week's Strong Songs] Legendary Cypher on Twitter "How To Travel In Time" exhibition Celeste original soundtrack by Lena Raine Cecilia's tips for playing Super Smash Bros Ultimate 

It's nearly time for December E3, aka The Game Awards, and there's lots to discuss! First, Kirk and Jason talk about slaying Sean Bean in Hitman 2, the great new platformer Monster Boy, and the excellent Prey Mooncrash. Then they get into Game Awards talk (30:10) on what to expect at this year's show, hype versus awards, and whether game reveals actually matter. They close out the show with off-topic talk (59:47) on The Bodyguard, She-Ra, and To Kill A Mockingbird.Music: Hanne Hukkelberg, “Cheater’s Armoury,” from her 2006 album Rykestrasse 68 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-gYOrU8bA

There are oh so many games to play this fall, and you should start with Return of the Obra Dinn, the fantastic puzzler that Kirk and Jason both adore. This week they talk all about that, along with Hitman 2, the Sega Genesis Classics collection, and other games they're playing. Then it's time for the news of the week (37:50) on Red Dead Online, Diablo 4, and The Game Awards rumors, along with some off-topic talk on Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star Is Born. Music pick: Paul Simon, “You Can Call Me Al,” from his 1986 masterpiece Graceland  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-gYOrU8bA Subscribe to Kirk’s new music podcast STRONG SONGS on Apple Podcasts or Google Play.

It's an extra-special-early Thanksgiving episode! This one's a two-parter. First, Kirk and Jason bring on Kotaku's Ethan Gach to talk about Fallout 76 (06:51), the buggy new multiplayer game from Bethesda Game Studios. Then, it's the long-awaited Red Dead Redemption 2 spoilercast (35:32) as Kirk and Jason dive into the game's lengthy story and talk about everything they liked and disliked. (Warning: SPOILERS!!!!)Music pick: Mika, “Grace Kelly,” from his 2007 album Life in Cartoon Motion

Kirk and Jason talk about the games they're playing, like Tetris Effect and Hitman 2, then jump into the news of the week (21:36) on Detective Pikachu, Final Fantasy XV's canceled DLC, and Destiny 2's "disappointing" sales. Then old friend Evan Narcisse joins the show (40:56) to talk about Stan Lee's legacy and what he meant to nerds all across the world. Finally, some off-topic talk (59:53) on House of Cards season 6 and Bohemian Rhapsody.Music pick: Roy Hargrove & The RH Factor, “Common Free Style,” from their 2003 album Hard Groove

Kotaku's Maddy Myers returns to the show this week, joining Kirk and Jason to chat about the big Diablo disaster. First they talk about some of the games they've been playing, including Assassin's Creed Origins, Return of the Obra Dinn, and Red Dead 2. Then the three get into the news of the week on Nintendo removing a racist animation from the new Smash, BlizzCon announcements, and the big Diablo controversy. They talk about why Diablo Immortal frustrated fans and offer some theories as to why marketing is such a large part of video game culture. The three of them close things out with off-topic talk and Kirk's Music Pick Of The Week.MUSIC PICK: Lake Street Dive, “You Go Down Smooth,” from their 2014 album Bad Self Portraits

Who would've thought that the biggest game of 2018 would also be one of the strangest? First up on this week's episode, Jason and Kirk talk about the news of the week including the PlayStation Classic's sad lineup, the buggy Fallout 76 beta, and a surprise new game from the creator of Undertale. Then Kirk and Jason take another deep dive into Red Dead Redemption 2 (21:14), now that Jason's actually had a chance to play it. They talk about how Rockstar's new game subverts AAA open-world tropes, the intense level of detail, and why RDR2 has grown on them both so much before moving into off-topic stuff and Kirk's Music Pick Of The Week (KMPOTW).

Kirk reads his full review of Red Dead Redemption 2.  Read it for yourself here, if you prefer. 

Over the past week, Kirk has spent all of his time playing through Red Dead Redemption 2, while Jason has spent all of his time talking to the people who made it. Today's show is a lengthy dissection of the newest epic from Rockstar, the conditions under which it was made, and how the game's story parallels its creators in so many ways. Kirk and Jason talk about how RDR2 works and what makes it so special, dig into the nuances of working overtime, and discuss their own relationships with crunch and how it's affected them.

Kirk and Jason chat about rock climbing tents, meta-baiting, and Assassin's Creed Odyssey before getting into this week's big news story (26:51) on Rockstar's work conditions. What did Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser mean when he said they put in 100-hour work weeks? Why do people equate working hard with working long hours? And how should we balance our desire to play the hell out of Red Dead Redemption 2 with our concerns about how it was made? This is just the first part of this conversation -- much more to come next week, too!