Send us a text

Episode 200 is here! We talk about the games we’ve been playing, Keith’s Rant Corner, and our big news—we’re now on Metacritic! We also cover the strange August 28th moment when Gears hit #1 on PlayStation and Helldivers 2 topped Xbox. Plus, full impressions from PAX West 2025, including the best games, highlights, and surprises from the show.
#ninjagaiden4 #rogxboxally #paxwest2025 #silksong #gamingpodcast

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
01:36 - Games Played & Stuff Watched
21:22 - Keith's Rant Corner returns (Gaming Journalism Frustrations)
33:22 - We finally got onto Metacritic
35:14 - Gears of War on PlayStation, Helldivers 2 on Xbox
46:02 - Ninja Gaiden 4, ROG Xbox Ally X hands on and PAX West 2025

It's been a great ride, with 200 episodes and we got plenty left in the tank for another 200 more episodes. So, stay tuned! And thanks for tagging along with us!

Thanks for listening and watching! If you enjoyed the episode, please like, comment, and subscribe to support the show.

Support the show

You can find the Spectator Mode podcast on the following podcast platforms. Please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcast, as it will go a long watch in more people discovering us. Thank you!

• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Amazon Music

Send us a text

Welcome back to Spectator Mode Podcast! In episode 199, we cover the latest in gaming and give you our unfiltered thoughts. We discuss the games we’ve been playing and the shows we’ve been watching, dive into the never-ending Silksong hype, and discuss whether it’s actually worth it. Keith shares his hands-on impressions of Pragmata, Resident Evil Requiem, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword.

We also break down Sony raising the price of the PlayStation 5 in the U.S., why tariffs are to blame, and give a quick lesson on how tariffs actually work. Plus, we dig into the new Xbox Ally handheld, and Matt gives his take on Ra Ra Boom, the latest beat ’em up that might need a little more time in the oven.

Timestamps

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:07 Games played and & stuff watched recently
• 16:29 Silksong hype and Gamescom date 2025 placement
• 30:48 PlayStation 5 price hike and tariffs
• 47:31 Xbox Ally gets a release date but no price
• 57:22 Ra Ra Boom Impressions

Thanks for listening and watching! If you enjoyed the episode, please like, comment, and subscribe to support the show.

#residentevil #pragmata #onimusha #videogames #gamingpodcast #gamecom2025 #playstation5

Support the show

You can find the Spectator Mode podcast on the following podcast platforms. Please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcast, as it will go a long watch in more people discovering us. Thank you!

• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Amazon Music

Send us a text

This week on the Spectator Mode Podcast, we start with what we’ve been playing and watching lately, then celebrate the Dynasty Warriors 25th anniversary and its lasting impact on the hack-and-slash genre. We also dive into Itch.io’s decision to relist NSFW games — but only the free ones — and what that means for indie developers.

From there, we tackle the controversial Online Safety Act, questioning why it’s needed and how it could affect online communities. Finally, we close out with our EVO 2025 recap, highlighting the biggest matches, surprise upsets, and standout performances from the world’s biggest fighting game event.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro / What we’ve been playing & watching
33:49 – Happy Dynasty Warriors 25th anniversary
48:00 – Itch.io relists NSFW games (only the free ones)
52:45 – The Online Safety Act… why?
1:04:30 – EVO 2025 recap

Thanks for listening and watching! If you enjoyed the episode, please like, comment, and subscribe to support the show.

#SpectatorModePodcast #DynastyWarriors #EVO2025 #FightingGames #OnlineSafetyAct #Itchio #GamingPodcast #VideoGames #GameNews

Support the show

You can find the Spectator Mode podcast on the following podcast platforms. Please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcast, as it will go a long watch in more people discovering us. Thank you!

• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Amazon Music