Episode 381 – Summer Game Fest Things, Night Springs, and Big Swings

Fred’s back in the spooky saddle after diving into the Alan Wake II DLCs—he’s completed Night Springs and has just cracked open The Lakehouse. Meanwhile, Jake rolled credits on Expedition 33 and while the ending didn’t totally land for him, the journey was strong enough to make it one of his recent favorites. He also dipped into Doom: The Dark Ages, because of course he did.

This week, we take a deep breath and unpack Summer Game Fest 2025. From the hype around sequels like Resident Evil: Requiem and Atomic Heart 2, to the weirdly compelling ILL and Reddit darling Stranger Than Heaven, the show had a little something for everyone—or maybe too much of everything. We talk about the odd bait-and-switch with Capcom’s teaser, how ILL might be more tech demo than game, and whether Atomic Heart really needed a multiplayer spin-off called The Cube.

We also take stock of upcoming DLCs (Lies of P: Overture, 007: First Light), roster updates (Street Fighter 6), and stylish indies like Mixtape, Blighted, End of Abyss, and Scott Pilgrim EX. Some reveals had us curious—like Onimusha Way of the Sword and Jurassic World Evolution 3—while others, like Sonic Racing: Crosswinds and the Marvel DLC, barely got a shrug.

Then it’s on to the PS5 flood that came from the Xbox Showcase of all places—Persona 4 Remake, The Outer Worlds 2, Gears of War Reloaded, Ninja Gaiden 4, Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster, Metal Gear Solid Delta, and 007 First Light all made strong showings. Sprinkle in Astro Bot, Thief VR, and a few curveballs like PAC-MAN in Hot Shots Golf and you’ve got a showcase that left us wondering if Xbox accidentally threw a better PS event than Sony’s recent State of Play (Which we also discuss)

We wrap things up with the latest releases, including the Alien Hominid double drop, MindsEye finally hitting shelves, and newcomers like The Alters, Wizard of Legend 2, and Zombie Army VR shaking things up. Whether you’re into body horror, magical roguelites, or cloning alternate versions of yourself to survive, it’s a packed week.

Let’s get into it.

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Episode 380 – “Gandalf, Game Fest, and Getting to the End”

Fred finally put a bow on Octopath Traveler II, clocking in at a hefty 76 hours. He’s now stuck in that post-game limbo, unsure what to dive into next—and somewhere along the way, he saw Gandalf, which we’ll unpack. Jake, meanwhile, is still going strong in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, now 31 hours deep and not letting up.

Listener feedback this week was short but sweet. Big Box gave us props for our thumbnail game, and 1blktalon chimed in with a time-stamped shoutout for Jake’s "Amen" moment from Episode 378, also weighing in on Jade Raymond. Appreciate the love—and the laughs.

As for the news, Summer Game Fest 2025 is right around the corner. Geoff Keighley will host on June 6th, and PlayStation is officially on board as a partner. Expect big reveals, including WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, and a post-show indie showcase from Day of the Devs. Meanwhile, IO Interactive is gearing up to unveil 007 First Light during their own showcase the same day, teasing Bond’s origin story with the tagline "Earn the number."

CD Projekt Red is offering a first look at the tech behind The Witcher 4 at the State of Unreal on June 3rd, showing off what Unreal Engine 5 will bring to the franchise. Tango Gameworks is back in action too—thanks to KRAFTON—and already hiring for a new action project following their reboot.

Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will get the spotlight during a June 8th live event hosted by Keighley, with a gameplay demo and surprise guests promised. In less celebratory news, Borderlands 4 found itself in hot water after Randy Pitchford suggested that “real fans” would pay $80 for the game. After backlash, he walked the statement back with a public apology.

Also this week, we learned that The Order 1886 was originally meant to be a trilogy—plans for The Order 1891 and 1899 were scrapped after poor reviews and the eventual closure of Ready at Dawn. A small nod lives on in Astro Bot, where Sir Galahad appears as a collectible.

And finally, MindsEye continues to stir controversy. Developer Mark Gerhard blames targeted attacks and bots for the game’s rocky reception. Whether that’s true or not, the game launches June 10th, so we’ll see for ourselves soon enough.

Let’s get into it.

Your support goes a long way in helping us continue to create the content you love. It's a simple and direct way to show your appreciation for our podcast.

To become a patron and unlock these exciting benefits, visit www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome today. Your support keeps us going and ensures that we can keep delivering top-notch PlayStation content.

Please, if you enjoyed the content or even if you didn’t quite enjoy this one, we encourage you to come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Please share with your friends and help us spread the show as we try to build a bigger community here!

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***AUDIO ISSUES IN THIS EPISODE***

We apologize in advance. Our recording software messed up. Listen to our other episodes to hear the quality we typically bring. This is not a representative episode. Apologies to our listener.

Episode 379 – “Final Boss Breakdown”

Fred’s well over 70 hours into Octopath Traveler II and stuck on the true final boss—his patience is wearing thin, and if this boss doesn’t go down soon, he’s threatening to leap off a cliff. Meanwhile, Jake’s still deep in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and holding off on DOOM: The Dark Ages until he wraps up that beautifully strange ride.

We did get some listener feedback this week, mostly someone roasting us for using AI. (Fair enough—we're still humans with mics, we promise.)

In the news, the June PS Plus titles were announced and it’s a stacked lineup: NBA 2K25, Alone in the Dark, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, and Destiny 2: The Final Shape (dropping May 28). Also this week, the FTC officially dropped its long-standing challenge against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Microsoft is calling it a win for players and, in a timely coincidence, Hellblade 2 has been confirmed for a PS5 release.

There’s talk of a State of Play hitting in June, though insiders say it’ll be smaller in scale and likely follow Summer Game Fest. Sony also announced it’s shutting down the PlayStation Stars rewards program, which honestly never really took off. New signups are done, and it’ll fully close in November 2026.

Elsewhere, Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel—codenamed Orion—will return to Night City and introduce a gritty new setting described as “Chicago gone wrong.” And in weird news, Clair Obscur has somehow sold 3.3 million copies in 33 days. Is this real life?

Lastly, if you’re hardware shopping, Sony is dropping $50 off the PS5 Pro through June 11th via PlayStation Direct.

Good time to jump in.

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Your support goes a long way in helping us continue to create the content you love. It's a simple and direct way to show your appreciation for our podcast.

To become a patron and unlock these exciting benefits, visit www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome today. Your support keeps us going and ensures that we can keep delivering top-notch PlayStation content.

Please, if you enjoyed the content or even if you didn’t quite enjoy this one, we encourage you to come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Please share with your friends and help us spread the show as we try to build a bigger community here!

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EPISODE 378: Bungie in Crisis, Kojima’s Legacy, and a Ton of Games!

Fred is 68 hours into Octopath Traveler II with just two storylines left to go, while Jake is still exploring Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. No listener feedback this week, but the news is pretty loaded.

Bungie is facing some serious trouble with their upcoming game Marathon. They discovered plagiarized art assets in the alpha build, which led to scrapping the planned gameplay reveal. The team morale is tanking, and now there’s a big question mark over whether they’ll make their September release. On the Sony side, Jade Raymond recently left Haven Studios, the team behind Fairgames. This came after some internal concerns and delays pushed Fairgames into a 2026 release. It definitely adds to the uncertainty around Sony’s live-service plans, which have had a rough ride lately.

Over at SNK, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves didn’t hit the mark, and their CEO has stepped down. Meanwhile, Hideo Kojima is thinking long term—he’s given his assistant a USB stick full of creative ideas, almost like a will, to keep Kojima Productions going strong when he’s no longer around. Kojima’s also pleased that Death Stranding 2 is scoring higher in internal reviews than the first game, though he admits he prefers more divisive feedback. He’s all about bold storytelling and isn’t interested in playing it safe.

And get ready for a huge wave of new games dropping this week. There’s RoadCraft, a disaster recovery sim from the makers of MudRunner; the classic S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy finally coming to PS5; and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, a rogue-like ninja adventure. If you’re into quirky stuff, Duck Detective has two new cases where you play as a down-on-his-luck duck detective solving mysteries. There’s also a mix of retro platformers, deckbuilders, action RPGs, VR zombie shooters, samurai remasters, and even a dark fantasy open-world RPG called Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon. It’s quite a lineup!

By joining our Patreon community for ONLY $1.00 per month, you'll also enjoy these exclusive benefits:

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Custom Die-Cut Vinyl Sticker: Receive an exclusive custom die-cut vinyl sticker featuring our podcast's unique design. Showcase your support with this limited-edition collectible.

Your support goes a long way in helping us continue to create the content you love. It's a simple and direct way to show your appreciation for our podcast.

To become a patron and unlock these exciting benefits, visit www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome today. Your support keeps us going and ensures that we can keep delivering top-notch PlayStation content.

Please, if you enjoyed the content or even if you didn’t quite enjoy this one, we encourage you to come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Please share with your friends and help us spread the show as we try to build a bigger community here!

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Fred’s now 63 hours into Octopath Traveler II, and Jake’s diving into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. No listener feedback this week—but plenty of PlayStation news to break down:

• Helldivers II continues to crush it with new content—this time, it's a full-on war against the Illuminate.
• Guilty Gear Strive grand finals at EVO Japan were derailed by an overheating PS5—hardware reliability in question.
• Fallout Season 2 hits Amazon this December, heading to the Mojave with major New Vegas vibes. Season 3 already confirmed.
• A former Rockstar dev says GTA VI didn’t enter full production until 2018. We also break down Trailer 2—and yes, Rockstar insists it’s running on a stock PS5.
• Naughty Dog’s new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, stars Tati Gabrielle as a bounty hunter on a cursed planet. Big themes, big reactions—both good and bad.
• DOOM: The Dark Ages ships with just 85MB on disc—another hit to physical game preservation.
• Death Stranding 2 has officially gone gold.
• Mafia: The Old Country looks gritty and cinematic—new trailer shows off the 1900s Sicily setting. It’s a focused $50 narrative experience dropping August 8th.

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Custom Die-Cut Vinyl Sticker: Receive an exclusive custom die-cut vinyl sticker featuring our podcast's unique design. Showcase your support with this limited-edition collectible.

Your support goes a long way in helping us continue to create the content you love. It's a simple and direct way to show your appreciation for our podcast.

To become a patron and unlock these exciting benefits, visit www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome today. Your support keeps us going and ensures that we can keep delivering top-notch PlayStation content.

Please, if you enjoyed the content or even if you didn’t quite enjoy this one, we encourage you to come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Please share with your friends and help us spread the show as we try to build a bigger community here!

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Fred is now 54 hours deep into Octopath Traveler II and also took the time to check out the Until Dawn movie adaptation. Jake's been messing with Rochard on the Steam Deck, though he's run into a glitch, and has started exploring the world of emulators on the handheld.

No listener feedback this week, but there’s plenty of news to cover. Grand Theft Auto VI has been officially pushed to May 2026—coincidentally landing right on Fred's birthday. In a surprise announcement, Gears of War: Reloaded, a remaster of the original, is coming to PS5 this August for $39.99. Oblivion Remaster is already the third best-selling game of 2025 after just one week, and Clair Obscur continues to dominate attention in the indie scene.

PS Plus Essential titles for May include Balatro, Ark: Survival Ascended, and Warhammer 40k: Boltgun. A State of Play stealth-dropped focusing on Borderlands 4, though Fred wasn’t impressed by the overhyped music in the intro. Lastly, Supermassive’s Blade Runner game has been officially canceled.

Thanks for joining us as we dig through the latest PlayStation headlines. Be sure to share the show, drop us a rating, and consider supporting us on Patreon to help keep the podcast alive and thriving!

By joining our Patreon community for ONLY $1.00 per month, you'll also enjoy these exclusive benefits:

Early Access: Be the first to listen to our episodes as soon as they're ready. Get ahead of the game and dive into the latest news, reviews, and discussions.

Personalized Shoutout: As a token of our gratitude for your support, we'll give you a special shout out during one of our podcast episodes, acknowledging your contribution and dedication to our show.

Custom Die-Cut Vinyl Sticker: Receive an exclusive custom die-cut vinyl sticker featuring our podcast's unique design. Showcase your support with this limited-edition collectible.

Your support goes a long way in helping us continue to create the content you love. It's a simple and direct way to show your appreciation for our podcast.

To become a patron and unlock these exciting benefits, visit www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome today. Your support keeps us going and ensures that we can keep delivering top-notch PlayStation content.

Please, if you enjoyed the content or even if you didn’t quite enjoy this one, we encourage you to come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Please share with your friends and help us spread the show as we try to build a bigger community here!

As always you can support our show at our Patreon Page. Thanks for listening.

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375 - Steaming Pile of Oblivion

Fred is back into Octopath Traveler 2 and has nearly clocked 46 hours, slowly but surely making progress. Meanwhile, Jake picked up the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remaster and has about three or four hours into it so far. Plus, Jake finally has a Steam Deck, and his first order of business was revisiting the classic Rochard.

We didn't have any listener feedback this week, but there was plenty happening in the world of PlayStation.

Oblivion Remastered officially launched, and the Until Dawn movie has dropped as well. We also talked a bit about the new games hitting PS5 this week — everything from pixel-art shooters to buttered-cat puzzle platformers and a few bigger hitters like MotoGP 25 and Forza Horizon 5. There's even a new rogue-lite beat-em-up called Kiborg that caught our eye.

Thanks as always for supporting the show — whether it's through Patreon, YouTube likes, comments, or just by tuning in. We've got plenty more PlayStation content on the way, so stick with us and keep spreading the word!

By joining our Patreon community for ONLY $1.00 per month, you'll also enjoy these exclusive benefits:

Early Access: Be the first to listen to our episodes as soon as they're ready. Get ahead of the game and dive into the latest news, reviews, and discussions.

Personalized Shoutout: As a token of our gratitude for your support, we'll give you a special shout out during one of our podcast episodes, acknowledging your contribution and dedication to our show.

Custom Die-Cut Vinyl Sticker: Receive an exclusive custom die-cut vinyl sticker featuring our podcast's unique design. Showcase your support with this limited-edition collectible.

Your support goes a long way in helping us continue to create the content you love. It's a simple and direct way to show your appreciation for our podcast.

To become a patron and unlock these exciting benefits, visit www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome today. Your support keeps us going and ensures that we can keep delivering top-notch PlayStation content.

Please, if you enjoyed the content or even if you didn’t quite enjoy this one, we encourage you to come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Please share with your friends and help us spread the show as we try to build a bigger community here!

As always you can support our show at our Patreon Page. Thanks for listening.

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PS This is Awesome: Episode 374 - Doom Drops, Marines Rise, and Oblivion Looms

Fred took a break from Octopath Traveler 2 this week, but he did boot up Space Marine 2 to check out the big new free update. We’ll dig into his thoughts on that later in the episode. Jake finally beat Robocop: Rogue City and shares with us his specs. He also started playing a game called Anno Mutationem

No listener feedback this week—y’all must be as busy as we are. Let’s get into what’s going on in the world of PlayStation.

Bethesda fans, mark your calendars—there’s an official Oblivion Remastered announcement coming on April 22. We’ve been hearing rumors forever, but this is the real deal. Meanwhile, DOOM: The Dark Ages just dropped its official trailer. The game launches May 15, 2025, and the trailer is an interesting mix—starting off pretty story-heavy before unleashing that signature DOOM gameplay, backed by some face-melting metal. You’re playing as “The Slayer,” naturally. It looks awesome.

There’s a new showcase on the scene called Galaxies, focused on indie and first-look games. It streamed exclusively on Twitch and featured titles like SPINE, Firebreak (Remedy’s next project), and Clair Obscur. Definitely one to keep on your radar if you’re into the lesser-known gems.

Sony dropped a teardown video of the PS5 Pro over on the PlayStation Blog if you’re into hardware stuff. We also got more details on the Days Gone Remastered, which will feature new modes like Horde Assault: Survival Arcade, Permadeath, and Speedrun mode—sounds like they’re giving fans a lot more to sink their teeth into.

And for those still curious about Marathon, PlayStation Blog has posted a full gameplay overview. It's worth a look if the recent trailers left you with more questions than answers.

Let’s dive in.

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Early Access: Be the first to listen to our episodes as soon as they're ready. Get ahead of the game and dive into the latest news, reviews, and discussions.

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Custom Die-Cut Vinyl Sticker: Receive an exclusive custom die-cut vinyl sticker featuring our podcast's unique design. Showcase your support with this limited-edition collectible.

Your support goes a long way in helping us continue to create the content you love. It's a simple and direct way to show your appreciation for our podcast.

To become a patron and unlock these exciting benefits, visit www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome today. Your support keeps us going and ensures that we can keep delivering top-notch PlayStation content.

Please, if you enjoyed the content or even if you didn’t quite enjoy this one, we encourage you to come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Please share with your friends and help us spread the show as we try to build a bigger community here!

As always you can support our show at our Patreon Page. Thanks for listening.

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