Gamed Out

Gamed Out is a backlog show in the most literal sense. Richard, the host, plays games from his backlog through to the credits, then sits down to talk them over. Finished games carry the word 'Completed' in their episode titles, as with '15: Spec Ops the Line Completed' and 'S3 EP2: Space Marine 40k Completed', and he mentions a completed-it series. Those episodes are part reaction, part reading. For Space Marine he reads out the gene-seed lore behind how Space Marines are made, remarks that it sounds disgusting, and compares the game's heavy-feeling characters to Gears of War. For Spec Ops he recites the game's background, from the novella and film credited as its inspirations to what reviewers praised and faulted, then admits he had not realized it had online multiplayer at all. He says the game has stuck with him. It was the twelfth game he finished in a push to clear games at the end of a year. Other episodes are check-ins rather than verdicts. He describes '16: 3 Game Update' as a break from the backlog with no real structure. Cyberpunk comes up in more than one episode, with talk of Judy, Evelyn Parker, the Voodoo Boys and the Dogtown setting of Phantom Liberty, and he admits he may have spoiled more than he meant to. He gives progress notes on a Pokemon Blue run too. He played Red as a child and went with Blue this time. He also talks about nearing the end of Call of Juarez Gunslinger, a short campaign he plans to finish on his Steam Deck and sums up as Call of Duty in the Wild West. The titles show the spread: '17: Linux, Cyberpunk & Pokemon Blue' and '18: Helldivers 2 and Dragons Dogma Preview' sit beside the completed-game episodes. Hardware is the other thread. In 'S3 EP3: The Handheld Conundrum' Richard walks through handhelds he bought and sold without finding the one he wanted, and settles on a Steam Deck for the time being. His diagnosis is a personal one: as a longtime iOS user, the trouble was the Android experience, not the devices. He explains that new computer parts and RAM trouble held that episode up. The tone is loose and chatty, and most of the jokes are at Richard's own expense. He jokes about his own consistency and calls himself an idiot for going quiet. Episodes close with invitations to get in touch by email or social media, sometimes with a direct question, such as a listener's favorite Steam Deck game. For the finished-game format, start with '15: Spec Ops the Line Completed'. For the hardware side, try 'S3 EP3: The Handheld Conundrum'. Either way, expect spoilers.