VICE's panel podcast dissecting one video game or Michael Mann film per episode.
Waypoint Radio mixes video game criticism, film retrospectives, and loose-table argument among critics who like context as much as verdicts. Recent episodes move from FromSoftware archaeology to Michael Mann close reads, with plenty of room for production history, personal memory, and stubbornly specific tangents.
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Waypoint Radio is a panel-format podcast from VICE with a rotating but consistent group of co-hosts who talk through a topic together rather than interviewing a single guest in a traditional Q&A. Rob Zacny, Patrick Klepek, and Renata Price are the hosts most directly evidenced across episodes, with outside contributors such as Alex Navarro of NextLander joining as a recurring panelist for the Manhunting film series. The show organizes its output into named recurring segments: Waypoint 101 is a retrospective format that picks apart one video game's design and history per episode, Waypoint After Dark functions as a behind-the-scenes planning and subscriber-preview segment, and Manhunting is a director-focused film criticism series that has covered Michael Mann films like Public Enemies and Ali in detail, debating cinematography, performance, and historical accuracy. A later era of the feed, evidenced by a 2026 episode reintroducing the show, pivots toward broader internet-culture reporting and interview journalism, including subjects like AI-driven disinformation fears among filmmakers and viral DIY projects. Discussions tend to be discursive and argumentative, with hosts openly disagreeing on a work's merits rather than converging on a single verdict. Episode lengths vary widely, from under 40 minutes for planning-style episodes to nearly two hours for deep-dive retrospectives and film discussions. The show suits listeners who want close critical analysis of individual games and films over broad industry news coverage. Production is conversational and unscripted in tone, consistent with a long-running podcast network format rather than a heavily produced narrative documentary.
Made for: Listeners who want detailed, argumentative critical discussion of individual video games and films rather than quick news roundups.
What sets it apart: Structures episodes around named recurring formats, like single-game retrospectives and a director-by-director film series, rather than one general review format.
What's good, Internet? Join Waypoint's Rob Zacny, Patrick Klepek, Renata Price, Natalie Watson, and Ricardo Contreras two times a week, as they break down the biggest stories in video games, talk about their favorite media, and unfairly compare everything to Dark Souls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Detailed group criticism makes game systems and film craft legible without draining the conversation of humor.
Waypoint Radio follows ideas wherever games and films take them, pairing close analysis with a group conversation that stays lively even at its most specific.
Michael Mann's craft obsessions meet game-design archaeology, and you get every glorious detour.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A revived VICE feed pairs AI dread with Tunnel Girl lore and a sharp taste for obsessive DIY culture.
VICE reopens the feed with a curious little sampler: a warning flare about AI from Oscar-winning filmmakers Daniel Roher, Daniel Kwan, and Jonathan Wang, then a turn toward Kala, aka TikTok Tunnel Girl, and the stranger pleasures of private obsession made public.
A sharp, Mann-literate reading of Public Enemies as a gangster film haunted by bad command and institutional mythmaking.
Waypoint's Mannhunting entry on Public Enemies digs into why Michael Mann's Dillinger film never settles into the clean master cop versus master criminal shape it seems to promise.
A funny, pointed Mannhunting entry on Ali, where boxing legend meets political compromise and an unusually muddled Mann film.
Mannhunting takes on Ali as one of Michael Mann's stranger detours: a historical biopic that wants to fold Muhammad Ali's public life into the racial, class, and political pressures of the 60s and 70s.
A funny, Mann-literate Collateral episode where craft, jazz, gunfights, and Becker somehow belong in the same conversation.
Mannhunting treats Collateral as one of Michael Mann's most durable arguments for itself: maybe not his sharpest script, biggest action movie, or cleanest statement of theme, but the film that keeps ranking near the top on almost every front.
A loose, sharp case for The Thing (2002) as a messy squad-horror experiment games mostly left behind.
Waypoint 101 takes The Thing (2002) seriously as a weird little design wager: a squad game trying to make horror out of delegation, absence, and the awful moment when a teammate decides something without you in the room.
A funny, thoughtful NORCO spoiler talk about Million, memory, control, and the game's blurred line between the literal and the dreamlike.
Waypoint Radio's NORCO Spoilercast sinks into the game's damp, haunted mess with the right mix of jokes, close reading, and nervous awe. Renata keeps the room loose, while Cam's academic bent sharpens the talk around NORCO's slippery sense of self without turning it into a…
A loose July preview turns Resident Evil nostalgia into funny, specific talk about remakes that still know how to scare.
Waypoint After Dark 03: July Preview works best as a loose hang before a Resident Evil month, turning a missed basketball cold open into part of the show instead of cleaning it up.
Three comedians riff on new releases and revisit terrible old games on Get Played Remastered.
Giant Bomb's weekly panel on new releases, industry news, and Game of the Year debates.
Rob Zacny and Patrick interview indie game developers and unpack the industry's rough patches.
Game Informer's editors review new releases and debrief hands-on previews from events like Summer Game Fest.
Panel and interview deep dives on video game history, from Shiny Entertainment to Sonic hacks.
The feed is active again.
Public Enemies plays like Heat dropped into the 1930s.
Ali still sits oddly inside Michael Mann's career.
Collateral gets its best-movie case.
Waypoint Radio’s “Waypoint 101 - The Thing (2002)” examines the PS2 survival-horror tie-in as a sequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 film and as a game built around Captain Blake, squad trust, and fear management.
This episode analyzes Michael Mann's film 'Heat', exploring how it recycles scenes and themes from his earlier works while becoming his most iconic crime film.
This episode examines Michael Mann's film L.A.
This episode discusses King's Field IV, a medieval-themed first-person RPG by FromSoftware for PlayStation 2, featuring insights from streamer Lobos Jr.
The wet mud tells you what kind of talk this is.
Patrick discusses his new Kirkland PC setup, including mishaps with tempered glass and matching it with Kirkland Scotch, while exploring the characteristics of safety glass.
This episode analyzes Andrei Tarkovsky's 1979 film Stalker, its adaptation of Roadside Picnic, and its influence on the Stalker video game series.
The hosts and guests discuss their project of working through Michael Mann's filmography, starting with a beta launch of a segment called 'manhunting'.
The hosts discuss their experience playing Super Metroid and compare it to Metroid Fusion, answering audience questions.
Rob Zacny, Patrick Klepek, and guest Kat Bailey discuss the 2014 football film Draft Day.
Waypoint Radio hosts discuss classic video games and gaming culture.
This episode features an interview with Alex Aniel, discussing his work and insights related to Resident Evil and retro gaming culture.
Waypoint Radio’s Waypoint After Dark 03: July Preview spends much of its time laying out why July’s schedule became packed, from a missed 15-minute basketball intro to listener questions about the Plus feed.
Rob Zacny and Cameron Kunzelman discuss L.A.
The hosts share funny and gross food-related personal stories, including a friend's brother eating hummus with his fingers and finding an owl pellet-like object in a box of teddy grams.
This episode discusses whether the Chicago Bears are improving after the NFL draft and OTAs, with comparisons to Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets' high-stakes season.
The hosts discuss their uncertain job status after their company's bankruptcy, blending humor with industry commentary.
The hosts of Waypoint Radio discuss the 2016 science fiction film Arrival in a roundtable format.
A host recounts a humorous story about intercepting a delivery truck to buy a Nintendo Switch and Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
A video game podcast discussing industry news, media, and comparing everything to Dark Souls.
A podcast discussing video game news, media, and culture, with a humorous and critical tone.
The hosts discuss pro cycling, including event pole, pogey's readiness for the tour, and jumbo's classic season, while also promoting a joint health supplement.
The hosts of Waypoint Radio discuss the emotional and uncertain circumstances surrounding their final episodes after being laid off, reflecting on their journey and the end of an era for the podcast.
The hosts discuss a PC hardware change causing Windows activation issues, typical of a video game culture podcast.
The hosts discuss the negative reaction to the upcoming game Redfall and share their own impressions from playing it.
The hosts discuss the Cubs' 2016 World Series win as a harbinger of societal chaos, blending sports analysis with cultural commentary.