New Game Plus Podcast - Episode 8

Joel and Zach talk through a mix of gaming news and opinions, from Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse and a World of Warcraft–Dungeons & Dragons crossover to AI in games, indie horror adaptations, Arc Raiders’ PvE mode, and League of Legends Worlds.

Key topics

· Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse — What makes the upcoming Metroidvania appealing, and when games like it fit between major releases.

· WoW and Dungeons & Dragons crossover — The campaign setting, new options for players, and the cost of the related products.

· Gaming and product collaborations — Why collaborations work best when they offer practical value, not just branding.

· AI in games — Creative uses of AI mods and concerns about replacing human creative work.

· Indie horror game adaptations — The reported film projects and how games such as Amanda the Adventurer could translate to the screen.

· PvE in Arc Raiders and League of Legends Worlds — How a PvE option could change Arc Raiders, plus the teams, format, and competitive scene at Worlds.

Games Mentioned

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, Hades, Dead Cells, World of Warcraft, Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto V, Batman: Arkham Knight, Amanda the Adventurer, Arc Raiders, League of Legends, Smite, Rocket League

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Timestamps

0:00 – Introduction and Episode Overview

01:24 – Discussion on Castlevania Belmont’s Curse

06:10 – Discussion on Dungeons and Dragons and the new World of Warcraft crossover

12:47 – Do collabs interest you in a product?

17:15 – Patch Notes: Meshing games together using mods

19:25 – Patch Notes: Discussion about AI in games

21:56 – Patch Notes: Blumhouse Productions creating horror movies based on indie games

26:21 – Arc Raiders PVE mode testing

32:28 – League of Legends Worlds

35:39 – Faker is the MJ of League of Legends

42:00 – Closing remarks and future plans

New Game Plus Podcast - Episode 7

Joel and Zach kick things off with a loose, off-the-cuff gaming conversation that moves from what they have been playing into patch notes, sales records, and a rapid-fire game of higher or lower. The biggest discussion points are RuneScape Dragon Wilds, Blood of Dawnwalker, Exodus, the Witcher 3 remaster, and a handful of surprise industry updates. This episode is a mix of game impressions, hype for upcoming releases, and a few very chaotic bits of trivia. If you like gaming news with a casual brotherly back-and-forth, this one covers a lot of ground.

If you would like to try Higher or Lower for yourself: https://www.higherorlowergame.com/video-games/

Key topics

• Zach shares his RuneScape Dragon Wilds grind
• Joel reflects on finishing Blood of Dawnwalker too early
• Exodus gets a long preview discussion
  • They talk about the game’s Mass Effect inspiration, its 40,000-years-in-the-future setting, recruitable crew, and the strange but memorable sentient frog character.
• A mod turns Batman Arkham Knight into a Spider-Man playground
  • Zach brings up Ark Web, an open-source PC mod that lets players swing through Gotham as Spider-Man.
• RuneScape 4 and the wider RuneScape roadmap come up
• The Witcher 3 remaster looks great, but only on stronger hardware
  • Joel compares PS5 and PC performance, noting that the PC version makes the upgraded visuals much more obvious.
  • He also notes the Steam player spike and the game’s continued popularity years after launch.
• Gears of War E Day is pulling strong early numbers
• They play a round of Higher or Lower
  • The rapid-fire segment turns into a mix of correct guesses, hard misses, and some very specific gaming trivia.
• The episode wraps with listener shoutouts and channel updates

Games Mentioned

RuneScape: Dragonwilds, Blood of Dawnwalker, Exodus, Batman: Arkham Knight, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, The Witcher 3, Gears of War: E-Day, Star Wars: Zero Company, Skyrim, Terraria, Dragon Quest XI, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Madden NFL 09, Resident Evil 4, Metal Gear Solid, Street Fighter, Crash Bandicoot, and Guitar Hero.

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Timestamps

0:00 – Welcome to Episode 07

01:04 – RuneScape: Dragonwilds update and end of season content

01:59 – Discussing RuneScape: Dragonwilds and its seasons

03:05 – Blood of Dawnwalker: fast completion and side quests

06:16 – Preview of Exodus and its storyline

13:07 – Patch Notes: Batman Arkham Knight mod and more

19:33 – RuneScape 4 announcement and future roadmap

22:26 – The Witcher 3 Remaster: visuals and performance

25:14 – Steam payer records and community reception

27:54 – Gears of War early access and player engagement

33:08 – New Segment: Higher or Lower

43:21 – Closing remarks and next week's plans

New Game Plus Podcast - Episode 6

In this episode, Joel and Zach discuss the freedom and survival systems in RuneScape Dragon Wilds, the upcoming Witcher 3 remaster, and why a campaign-only option for Call of Duty would make sense. They also dig into Microsoft’s ad system patent, a high school class using video games as literature, Destiny 2 content being unvaulted, and the strong beta response for World of Warcraft: Wild Forever.

Games as literature class: https://teachingwithvideogames.com/about-us

Key topics

• Zach breaks down why RuneScape Dragon Wilds works for him even though he never liked classic RuneScape’s point-and-click style.
• Zach says he has already put 55.8 hours into RuneScape Dragon Wilds in about a week and still has not finished the story.
• Joel explains why The Witcher 3 is one of his all-time favorite games and why the remaster has him excited again.
• The Witcher 3 remaster adds upgraded visuals and performance, PS5 Pro support, reimagined skill systems, improved combat, refreshed UI, transmog, mod integration, and new quests and equipment.
• Joel argues that Call of Duty should offer a campaign-only purchase option instead of forcing players to pay for multiplayer they may not want.
• The duo reacts to Microsoft’s patent for in-game ads and agrees that ads placed after cutscenes, boss fights, or quests would break immersion.
• The discussion on video games as literature highlights how games can teach narrative structure, character analysis, and thematic interpretation.
• Destiny 2’s unvaulting of old campaigns, raids, strikes, and maps is treated as a long-requested community win.
• World of Warcraft: Wild Forever’s beta is generating unusually strong excitement, with Zach especially interested in trying an undead character.

Games Mentioned

RuneScape Dragon Wilds, The Witcher 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, The Last of Us, Hades 2, Tall Tales, Red Dead Redemption 2, Destiny 2, World of Warcraft: World Forever, God of War

Notable quotes

“I love it. And for the thirty-dollar price tag, I will recommend it to anybody.”

“I have spent probably over a hundred dollars total at Fortnite.”

“We've got something really special here in WoW: Forever.”

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If you enjoyed the episode, follow, subscribe, and check back next week for more gaming talk, hot takes, and off-script conversation.

Timestamps

0:00 — Introduction and Episode Overview

0:53 — What Have We Been Playing?

1:57 — Zach’s RuneScape Dragon Wilds Review

13:50 — Witcher 3 Remastered Is Out Now

20:18 — Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Discussion

27:17 — Patch Notes

28:07 — In-Game Ads and Industry Trends

34:05 — God of War Laufey Breakdown

41:35 — New High School Class: Video Games as Literature

43:13 — Video Games as Literature in Education

49:41 — Destiny 2 Revival

56:00 — Unexpected WoW: Forever Beta Numbers

New Game Plus Podcast Episode 5

Zach and Joel kick things off with a couple of games they have been spending time with lately, then move into two gaming industry news stories that raise bigger questions about AI and publishing decisions. The second half of the episode turns into a detailed breakdown of the cast for the upcoming God of War live-action series, followed by a fast, chaotic round of " Would You Rather " questions and a debate about gaming hot takes.

In This Episode

· Gaming industry updates and new releases

· AI controversies involving Twitch and Amazon

· Casting decisions for the upcoming God of War series

· Game mechanics and traversal in Blood of Don Walker and other titles

· Industry trends and legal issues in streaming and AI Casting choices for the God of War series

· Impact of mods on game experience

· Favorite gaming genres and characters

· Discussion on World of Warcraft expansion

· Analysis of fighting game appeal and tournament culture

· Faction selection in World of Warcraft

· Sign casting in The Witcher series

· Preferences for first-person or third-person games

· Weapon choices in gaming: energy sword vs keyblade

· Humorous and spicy takes on gaming topics

Games Mentioned

Crimson Moon, Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha, Wolverine, Marvel’s Blade, Physint, Death Stranding, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid V, P.T., Silent Hill, God of War, God of War Ragnarök, Twisted Metal, Fallout, The Last of Us, The Witcher, Halo, Detroit: Become Human, World of Warcraft, Soulcalibur II, Mortal Kombat, Marvel vs. Capcom, Street Fighter, Super Smash Bros., League of Legends, Madden, Call of Duty, Baldur’s Gate 3, Skyrim, Kingdom Hearts, Resident Evil 5, Ghost of Tsushima, Red Dead Redemption, Dark Souls, For Honor, Diablo

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If you enjoyed the episode, follow, subscribe, and check back next week for more gaming talk, hot takes, and off-script conversation.

Timestamps

0:12 - Welcome to Episode 05

0:53 - What Zach’s playing: Crimson Moon

2:30 - What Joel has been playing: Blood of Dawnwalker

4:44 - Game mechanics and traversal in Blood of Dawnwalker

12:26 - Game progression mechanics and talent points

14:09 - Patch Notes

14:33 - Twitch training AI using streamer VODs

16:06 - Legal and ethical concerns in AI data usage

20:42 - Why Sony cut ties with Hideo Kojima

23:09 - Hideo Kojima’s project split and industry implications

24:07 - The effects of big actors in video games

27:01 - God of War live-action cast reveal and analysis

43:00 - Cast comparisons and character insights in the series

49:36 - Plans for WoW: Forever

50:10 - WoW: Forever decisions

56:24 - Spicy Tacos

1:09:22 - Would You Rather

1:22:45 - Final thoughts

New Game Plus Podcast Episode 4

Joel and Zach are joined by Trevor for a BlizzCon-focused episode that turns into a full World of Warcraft conversation. They kick off with what everyone has been playing, including Crimson Moon, Palworld, Star Wars Zero Company, and Blood of Dawnwalker, before moving into the big Blizzard announcements and how reviews affect whether they try a game at launch. In this episode, the trio talks through the appeal of MMO progression, why WoW still hooks players after years of play, and what Blizzard’s latest reveals could mean for both veterans and newer players. Trevor brings the most depth as a high-end WoW raider, while Joel and Zach react as longtime but less committed players.

In This Episode:

• Zach shares first impressions of Crimson Moon, describing it as more roguelike than soulslike, with soulslike elements and strong execution animations.
• Trevor talks about sinking hours into Palworld, including its campaign structure, tower bosses, and Elite Four-style progression.
• Joel reviews Star Wars Zero Company, saying it took him 38 hours, cost $49.99, and delivered strong combat, visuals, story, and voice acting.
• Joel explains why Blood of Dawnwalker feels like a Witcher adjacent game, praising the fluid directional combat and vampire playstyle.
• The group debates whether bad reviews should change your mind about a game, with Joel saying it depends on how excited he already was.
• Blizzard’s announcements dominate the second half, starting with a possible Zelda live-action movie mention and then moving into BlizzCon news.
• They discuss the new StarCraft first-person shooter and how it could attract Destiny players looking for a different long-term live service experience.
• Diablo 5 comes up next, along with the animated Diablo series and how Blizzard’s animation quality could make it a standout adaptation.
• Warcraft III Reforged and Warcraft’s RTS roots are revisited as the bridge into World of Warcraft lore.
• Trevor explains his mythic raiding background, the difference between LFR, normal, heroic, and mythic, and why boss pulls can take hundreds of attempts.
• The WoW discussion covers Eclipse 12.2, new race access for paladins, Xal'atath the saga’s central villain, and the World Soul storyline.
• Wrath of the Lich King Remix and World of Warcraft Forever are highlighted as the most exciting future modes, especially for players who want faster progression, older rewards, and controller support.

Highlight Moments

• “We haven’t had a game like this in a very long time.”
• “There’s no game. The game is: get to max level and one-shot everything.”
• “World of Warcraft Forever is a stupid name.”

Games Mentioned

Age of Empires, Age of Mythology, Black Desert Online, The Blood of Dawnwalker, The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Crimson Desert, Crimson Moon, Cyberpunk 2077, Dead by Daylight, Destiny 2, Diablo III, Diablo IV, and Diablo V, Elden Ring, Fable, Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yōtei, Grand Theft Auto VI, Hades, Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends, Onimusha, Palworld, Pokémon, Star Wars Zero Company, StarCraft, The Witcher 3, Warcraft III: Reforged, World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Remix, World of Warcraft Forever, Marvel’s Wolverine

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If you enjoyed the episode, follow, subscribe, and check back next week for more gaming talk, hot takes, and off-script conversation.

Chapters

00:00 - Welcome & What We’ve Been Playing
12:30 - Zelda Movie Rumors and the Ocarina of Time Remake
16:15 - Do Reviews Affect Which Games We Play?
22:27 - BlizzCon News: StarCraft’s New Direction
25:44 - Diablo 5 and the Upcoming Animated Series
32:14 - Warcraft III: Reforged and The Fall of Lordaeron
36:00 - Why World of Warcraft Still Pulls Players In
46:35 - World of Warcraft: Eclipse and High-Level Raiding
60:43 - Wrath of the Lich King Remix
66:02 - World of Warcraft Forever, Controller Support & Customization
82:46 - Mythic Keys, Keystone Rewards & Getting Back Into WoW
89:44 - A Big Year for Games
92:57 - Next Week’s God of War Discussion
95:02 - Outro & Where to Find the Show

New Game Plus Podcast - Episode 2

Joel and Zach discuss the games currently taking over their time, the announced remake of The Witcher 3, Xbox's proposed physical-to-digital game licensing feature, Gamescom's biggest upcoming titles, Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks, and a blind ranking of iconic video game protagonists.

In this episode:

• Zach explains his heavily modded Skyrim setup, including vanilla-plus additions such as camping, hunting, expanded skill trees, improved AI, and more immersive NPC behavior.
• Joel shares his first 20 hours with Star Wars Zero Company, an XCOM-inspired tactical RPG featuring unlockable characters, increasingly difficult missions, strategic combat, and permadeath.
• Joel and Zach debate the tension between experimenting with new characters and protecting a team they have become attached to.
• They discuss the announced The Witcher 3 remake, including improved combat, enhanced Signs, auto-looting, removed carry-weight restrictions, and transmog.
• Existing owners are expected to receive the remake and DLC at no additional cost, while the conversation turns to CD Projekt Red's recovery after Cyberpunk 2077.
• Joel explains why The Witcher 3 remains his favorite game, highlighting the Bloody Baron questline, extensive DLC, multiple endings, collectible Gwent cards, and the wider book series.
• They react to Xbox's proposed feature allowing owners of supported physical games to claim permanent digital licenses after inserting the disc into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X console.
• Gamescom reveals discussed include Rainbow Six Tactics, Warlock, Notice Fall, the The Witcher 3 follow-up DLC Songs of the Past, Exodus, and the upcoming Fable reboot.
• Zach and Joel examine Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks, Rockstar's response, the game's expanded map and wanted system, and the reported absence of microtransactions and AI-generated content.
• Zach blind-ranks Master Chief, Arthur Morgan, Ezio Auditore, Geralt, and Kratos before recommending Baldur's Gate 3 for its replayability, meaningful choices, flexible party systems, challenging combat, branching endings, and couch co-op.

Highlight moments

• Zach’s love-hate relationship with Skyrim modding
• Joel’s first impressions of Star Wars: Zero Company and its high-stakes squad gameplay
• The brothers debate the best Witcher romance choice
• Their biggest Gamescom picks, from tactical shooters to fantasy RPGs
• Zach blind-ranks iconic video game protagonists
• The “Dad Approves” recommendation: Baldur’s Gate 3

Games mentioned

Skyrim, Star Wars: Zero Company, XCOM, Darkest Dungeon, The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Baldur’s Gate 3, Rainbow Six Tactics, Warlock, Songs of the Past, Nodus Fall, Elden Ring, Final Fantasy XV, Exodus, Fable, GTA VI, Red Dead Redemption 2, Halo, Ghost Recon Wildlands, Ghost of Yotei, Wolverine

Follow us:

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Also find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts (links located in our bio)

If you enjoyed the episode, follow, subscribe, and check back next week for more gaming talk, hot takes, and off-script conversation.

0:12 Welcome to Episode 2

0:30 What Have We Been Playing?

2:36 Star Wars: Zero Company

7:27 Witcher 3 Remastered

18:02 Patch Notes: Xbox Digital Rights

21:33 Patch Notes: Gamescom and Our Most Anticipated Games

34:14 Big News GTA VI

39:38 Rockstar Statement on GTA VI Leaks

44:01 Zach Blind Ranks Main Characters

47:05 The Dad Approves

53:56 Outro: Recap and What’s Coming

New Game Plus kicks off with Joel and Zach diving into the games they’ve been playing lately, from Skyrim with mods and Dead by Daylight to Assassin’s Creed Shadows, League of Legends, and the ongoing debate around remasters, pre-orders, and gaming subscriptions.

In this episode, we cover:

• What we’ve been playing lately
• Why mods can make Skyrim feel brand new
• Dead by Daylight rage, teamwork, and community updates
• Thoughts on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Yasuke
• Hot takes on Souls games, Expedition 33, and Black Myth Wukong
• The state of gaming news: physical vs. digital ownership, Sony’s disc-less direction, and PlayStation Plus concerns
• Big casting and adaptation news, including God of War and The Witcher
• Why pre-orders don’t hit the same anymore
• What games are worth your limited time as a busy parent or working adult

Highlight Moments

Skyrim with mods
Zach explains why mods keep Skyrim fresh and how much time he spends building the perfect setup.

Dead by Daylight frustration
The guys talk about why the game is fun, stressful, and somehow impossible to quit.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Joel shares why he’s enjoying the newer direction of the series and why Yasuke’s combat is a highlight.

Spicy Takes
From Soulsborne difficulty to Expedition 33 and Black Myth Wukong, the hot takes come fast.

Gaming industry news
The conversation gets real about digital ownership, Sony’s direction, and what players are actually getting for their money.

Dad Approves
Joel breaks down what makes a game worth your time when you only have a few hours to play.

Games mentioned

Skyrim, Mortal Shell 2, Dead by Daylight, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, League of Legends, Black Flag Resync, Expedition 33, Ghost of Yote, Bloodborne, Sekiro, Black Myth Wukong, Mass Effect, Anthem, GTA 6, Fable, Dragon Age, The Witcher, God of War, Hogwarts Legacy, Star Wars Zero Company, Crimson Desert, Blood of Dawnwalker

Follow us

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If you enjoyed the episode, follow, subscribe, and check back next week for more gaming talk, hot takes, and off-script conversation.