Game Under Podcast Ep. 174

I’m not this good - yet - Phil

Episode 174 of The Game Under Podcast sees Tom Towers and Phil Fogg gingerly pry open the scuffed jewel case of gaming’s present and past. From the unceremonious drop of Mindseye, a title that dares you to remember it post-credits, to the cyclical absurdity of “a new Xbox is... just an Xbox,” the duo effortlessly glides between critique and curiosity. Fogg, with his signature dry affection for chaos, wrestles with Nintendo’s ongoing PR acrobatics, while Tom indulges in a geriatric deep-dive into Minecraft, lumbering through digital dirt with the grace of an arthritic creeper. Their delightfully unfiltered exploration of Vampire Survivors leads to a ruminative spoiler-filled excavation of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. And just as the embers die down, Fogg ignites the sacred console debate—PS3, Xbox 360, Wii—with the forensic obsession of a man who’s played Nier on all three.

Thanks for listening

• Phil

Monster Train First Impressions

It’s difficult to overstate how thoroughly Monster Train disoriented me. What I assumed would be a straightforward deck-builder quickly revealed itself as something stranger—less an express ride to mechanical clarity and more a plodding crawl through a baroque, three-tiered purgatory. I placed units like I was obeying some forgotten instinct from other games. The enemies, unbothered by my ignorance, politely bypassed my efforts and torched the Pyre with the casual entitlement of squatters.

The relics, meanwhile, offered boons couched in ambiguity, collecting them like outdated software updates. Each clan suggested an arcane logic beneath its aesthetic, a synergy I hadn’t yet deciphered, as though I were building a machine whose manual was printed in another language. Still, it was all strangely compelling. Monster Train is clearly dense with intent. I could feel it, like when you enter a room and sense there’s a conversation happening just outside your earshot. I don’t understand it yet. I feel as though I am a passenger on a train without a ticket and I am looking over my shoulder nervously waiting for the conductor to ask, “Tickets Please!”.

-Phil Fogg

Game Under Podcast Ep. 173

This week we have hands-on impressions of the Switch 2 then talk about the latest video game news that came out of Summer Games Fest, Princess Peach’s Firing and Leslie Benzies perpetual motion machine. Finally, we talk about Microsoft’s handheld console strategy and a feature that discusses the best console of the PS4/XBOne/ Wii U era.

Thanks for listening,

Phil Fogg

Game Under Podcast Ep. 172

In this episode Tom and Phil go over the latest video game news, give impressions of Doom the Dark Ages, Clair Obscure, our selection of the best gaming format of the current generation and so much more with a return of some Trademark Banter segments.

Thanks for listening.

• Phil Fogg

Game Under Podcast Ep. 171

Not quite good enough for a 80’s Heavy Metal album cover. Needs more snake.

In this episode we discuss the latest video game news including the Xbox price hikes, delayed launch of GTA6 and the implications and an interesting story about how former Sony Head of Global Studio jokingly stated that he "saved" Gran Turismo. We then give impressions of the hottest game of the moment Clair Obscure: Expedition 33. Phil gives impressions of Mice Maze a new bullet heaven roguelite as well as closing his impressions on Case of the Golde Idol Finally we answer a listener's question about boats. It's fascinating.

Thanks for listening.

Phil Fogg

Game Under Podcast Ep. 170

Blue Prince

In this episode Tom and Phil discuss the weeks news, including more Switch 2 controversy, and Microsoft’s remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. We then give our impression of the Blue Prince, a game that many are putting on the top of their GOTY lists. Tom dabbled with the Oblivion remaster and after last episode Phil decided to play The Case of the Golden Idol and tell Tom exactly what he thinks about it.

Thanks for listening.

• Phil Fogg

Game Under Podcast Ep. 169

Switch 2 Reveal - Panic or Pile On?

Tom and Phil return to host Australia’s longest running video game podcast and talk over the latest video game news including Nintendo Switch 2 details, the return of Game Informer and the BAFTA most influential game poll. We also talk about the games we think are the most influential before going on to give our reviews of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, There is No Game, and the Case of the Golden Idol.

Finally, we revisit the How It All Started segment where we talk about the most relevant games in successful franchises, like Super Mario, Doom, Call of Duty, The Elder Scrolls and more.

Thanks for listening.

• Phil Fogg

Game Under Podcast Ep. 168

If you are going to play Spiritfarer based on my review, bring a notebook.

Phil Fogg carries the podcast on his week aging back, while our foreign correspondent, Tom Towers is “on assignment”. I break down the industry changing news of the week and get around to sharing my impressions of two very good games that I have not been able to get to on recent show, CtrlMovie’s Late Shift and Thunder Lotus’s 2020 critical darling, Spiritfarer.

Thanks for listening.

• Phil Fogg

Game Under Podcast Ep. 167

In this episode Tom and Phil talk about the state of Valve, Indy Jones and the Great Circle, the news and a hotly anticipated review of Doki Doki Literature Club as well as a conversation about Doki Doki Literature Club.

Thanks for listening,

Phil Fogg

Game Under Podcast Ep. 166

The entire plot of the latest Indiana Jones games could have been undercut by one of these.

The boys are back in town with Season 12 of the Game Under Podcast. This time we talk about Indiana Jones, Pentiment, Switch 2, Edge Magazine’s Top 10 of 2024 and a whole lot of news.

Thanks for listening.

• Phil Fogg