Triple Click r4r17

Arise, tarnished, and watch out for server errors. Jason, Kirk, and Maddy team up for some co-op in Elden Ring: Nightreign, the new multiplayer spinoff by From Software. It's a fun game to talk about! They talk about the high highs, low lows, and the opacity of it all. One More Thing: Kirk: Your Friends and Neighbors (Apple TV+) Maddy: Kitchen Nightmares Jason: The Rehearsal (HBO) LINKS: Tyler Colp’s PC Gamer Nightreign Review: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/elden-ring-nightreign-review/ Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason grab their chainsaws and get ready to slay some aliens (demons?) in DOOM: The Dark Ages, the latest game from id Software. They talk about the new DOOM's pros and cons, the lasting appeal of the franchise, and how fun it feels to hack apart aliens (demons?) at 400 miles per hour. One More Thing: Kirk: Cabaret (1972) Maddy: Survival of the Thickest (Netflix) Jason: Golden Idol Investigations: The Lemurian Phoenix LINKS: “Atlan Battleground” from the Doom: The Dark Ages soundtrack by Finishing Move Mick Gordon plays Doom music at the 2016 Game Awards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a9E3n_VZRQ Jason’s report on Doom 2016’s troubled development: https://kotaku.com/five-years-and-nothing-to-show-how-doom-4-got-off-trac-468097062 Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Can the magic of old-school Blizzard ever be recreated? Dreamhaven, a company started by Blizzard co-founder Mike Morhaime and a whole bunch of other Blizzard veterans, seems to be trying to make it happen. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about Dreamhaven's first two games, Sunderfolk and Wildgate, and whether it's possible to recreate those old Blizzard feelings in 2025. One More Thing: Kirk: Sinners Maddy: Doom: The Dark Ages Jason: Thunderbolts* (2025) LINKS: Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Grand Theft Auto VI is delayed to 2026... but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not! This week, the gang talks about both games, starting with some thoughts on the new GTA trailer before moving into some takes on Act 1 of Clair Obscur.  One More Thing: Kirk: Blue Prince Maddy: Consume Me Jason: Yellowface (RF Kuang) LINKS: Excerpts from the Clair Obscur soundtrack composed by Lorien Testard Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion got a surprise remaster, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 received rave reviews, and The Hundred Line: Defense Academy is way deeper — and way better — than we expected. This week, the gang dives into all three games. Plus: some cool TV shows! One More Thing: Kirk: Adolescence (Netflix) Maddy: E.R. (Max) Jason: The Studio (Apple TV Plus) LINKS: Featuring tracks from Clair Obscur composed by Lorien Testard, feat. Alice Duport-Percier, vocals Mini-Doc on the music of Clair Obscur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urizETxs3_8 Adolescence Post-Viewing: Stephen Graham on Fresh Air, The Panic World podcast’s recent discussion is also good, Kathryn Jezer-Morton in The Cut, “The Dangerous Son Problem” ER Theme by James Newton Howard Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

How should video game consoles differentiate themselves without exclusives? Do games make us more or less lonely? And are RPGs popular because they feel like jobs? This week, Maddy, Jason, and Kirk open up the listener mailbag and take some of your (excellent) questions. Plus: three killer new games that are out this week! One More Thing: Kirk: Sunderfolk (PC, Consoles, Switch) Maddy: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Jason: The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy LINKS: Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ “All Work and No Play” by Sam Adler-Bell for Dissent, 2021: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/all-work-and-no-play/ Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Blue Prince is out, and people are definitely having a normal one. Maddy, Jason, and Kirk talk about some of the initial player reactions to the highest-reviewed game of 2025, and how sentiment has changed since the first day or two. They talk about the pros and cons of RNG, when the game clicked for each of them, and what they've been seeing over the last week. One More Thing: Kirk: Oscars Watch Game Reimagined/The Godfather Maddy: Hail Satan? (2019) Jason: Lunar: Remastered Collection LINKS: Kirk on Blue Prince: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/p/theme-and-theme-and-variations Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Blue Prince is the best-reviewed game of 2025 so far... but does it live up to the hype? Yes, yes it does. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about the game's unique genre-blending design, the appeal of the puzzles, the story hidden underneath it all, and much, much more. Plus: a very special announcement! One More Thing: Kirk: Slough House Books 5-8 (Mick Harron) Maddy: Inside Out 1 + 2 Jason: Switch 2 + tariffs LINKS: Kirk’s essay about about Blue Prince and repetition: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/p/theme-and-theme-and-variations Blue Prince music excerpts by Trigg & Gusset Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Thanks to yesterday's Nintendo Direct, we now know a lot more about the Nintendo Switch 2, from the price (high!) to the release date (soon!) to the fact that omg they showed Silksong for three seconds and said it's coming in 2025, which means it MUST come out this year since when has a console maker ever been wrong about when Silksong is coming out??? Also they announced a bunch of other Switch 2-related stuff, and Jason actually attended the press event and played the thing, and Maddy spent all day directing coverage of it, so they got on a zoom call with Kirk to talk about all of it. And then they both went to sleep and Kirk stayed up to edit the episode and write this episode description. One More Thing: Kirk: The Princess Bride (William Goldman) Maddy: The Residence (Netflix) Jason: Saga Frontier 2  LINKS: Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

There's a new Assassin's Creed out, and there's lots to discuss. Kirk, Maddy, and Jason talk about the structure of Assassin's Creed Shadows, the balance between protagonists Naoe and Yasuke, how the game might impact Ubisoft's future, and much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Search Engine with Ira Glass Maddy: Heretic (2024) Jason: Vantage Point (Sara Sligar) LINKS: Featuring excerpts from the AC Shadows soundtrack composed by The Flight and TEKE::TEKE Shogun’s subtitles: https://www.polygon.com/24124644/star-wars-shogun-influence-subtitle-font Polygon’s Heretic interviews: https://www.polygon.com/horror/476433/heretic-ending-explained-by-directorsHeretic’s directors unpack its ambiguous ending Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/.

If the Triple Click gang worked in the video game industry, what would they each do? What's it like to pitch a game? And should Steam bring back its Greenlight process to help slow down the barrage of new games every year? This week, it's time for some burning questions! One More Thing: Kirk: Notifications Maddy: We Are Lady Parts  Jason: Dead Money (Jakob Kerr) LINKS: “The Writer Will Do Something” by Matthew Seiji Burns and Tom Bissell: https://matthewseiji.itch.io/twwds Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread https://faroffgames.com/pages/arydia Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/.

Video games: they're cool! There are a lot of new games out, so let's talk about them. Games discussed this week: Wanderstop, Expelled, Split Fiction, Rise of the Golden Idol DLC, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage One More Thing: Kirk: Reacher (Prime Video) Maddy: Paradise (Hulu) Jason: The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen) LINKS: Analysis of duplicated host introductions using spectral analysis: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EQmbU451Ob5rmqKUDAdwAjuSysx7oEvW/view?usp=sharing “The Guilt of the Video Game Millionares” by Simon Parkin for The New Yorker, 2014 https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-guilt-of-the-video-game-millionaires Featuring an excerpt from the Wanderstop theme by C418 Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason grab their Palicoes and pull out their dual blades for a monster hunt extraordinaire. This week, the gang is talking about Capcom's latest Monster Hunter. They talk about the appeal of the core gameplay loop, the thrill of the combat, and the approachability compared to previous entries. One More Thing: Kirk: The Murderbot Diaries (Martha Wells) Maddy: The Contestant (2023) Jason: Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars LINKS: Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

What's with the video game industry? Over the last three years, tens of thousands of jobs have been cut, dozens of studios were shut down and countless projects got canceled. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy break down why and how this is all happening, from flattened console growth to the rise of Fortnite and other Black Hole games like it. One More Thing: Kirk: The Pitt (Max) Maddy: Moonlight Internet Hosting Tool Jason: This is the Tom Green Documentary (Amazon Prime) LINKS: Matthew Ball’s presentation on the state of the video game industry: https://www.matthewball.co/all/stateofvideogaming2025 Chris Hayes on Know Your Enemy talking about attention and his new book The Siren’s Call: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/know-your-enemy-pay-attention/ Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

The gang takes a deep dive into Obsidian's latest roleplaying game, Avowed. They talk about the crunchy combat, the ramifications of story decisions, and why the exploration works so well. Plus: SNL turns 50! One More Thing: Kirk: Ladies and Gentlemen…. 50 Years of SNL Music (Peacock) Maddy: Priscilla (2023) Jason: Lisa Jewell LINKS: Featuring “Avowed” by Venus Theory and Justin E. Bell Hbomberguy’s “Fallout New Vegas is Genuis, Here’s Why”: ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzF7aHxk4Y4 Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Civilization VII is out this week, and it's time to break down Sid Meier's iconic series. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about their favorite games in the franchise, what "4X" actually means, and why Civ games are so appealing to so many people. One More Thing: Kirk: “The Ghosts in the Machine” an excerpt from Mood Machine by Liz Pelly Maddy: ‘Dragon Age: The Veilguard Just Went From A Good RPG To One Of BioWare’s Most Important Games’ by Ken Shepard [Spoilers] Jason: Avowed LINKS: “Casual Viewing: Why Netflix Looks Like That” by Will Tavlin for N+1: https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-49/essays/casual-viewing/ Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

The console wars are over. The winner? PC gaming! This week, the Triple Click gang gets into Maddy's recent quest to build a new PC and some of their favorite PC building experiences. Then they talk about the recent explosion of PC gaming, what's caused it, and what it might mean for the future of games. One More Thing: Kirk: Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver) Maddy: Citizen Sleeper 2 Jason: The craziest trade in NBA history LINKS: Featuring “Sleeper” by Amos Roddy from Citizen Sleeper Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Wondering what makes some video game titles good and some bad? Just bring in Triple Click Consulting — we've got you covered. This week, the gang goes through a whole bunch of names and discusses what makes them work and what doesn't, from Balatro to EA Sports FC. One More Thing: Kirk: “All Work and No Play” - Sam Adler-Bell for Dissent, 2021 Maddy: Silo season 2 Jason: You Like It Darker (Stephen King) LINKS: The Know Your Enemy Podcast: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/category/podcast/know-your-enemy/ Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ A good name should be at least two of: Memorable (vs. Forgettable) Punchy (vs. Floppy) Understandable (vs. Confusing) Enticing (vs. Off-Putting) Surprising (vs. Predictable) (??)

Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2 last week, and there's oh so much to discuss. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk give their initial impressions of Nintendo's next console, talk about how it will fit into a post-Steam Deck world, and debate whether Mario Kart is any good. Then they talk about PlayStation's failing live-service initiative. Plus: a bonus Burning Question! One More Thing: Kirk: Trap (dir. M. Night Shaymalan) Maddy: Building Outside the Lines (HGTV) Jason: The Puzzle Maker: Cebba’s Odyssey (Steam) LINKS: Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

How have video game budgets skyrocketed to the hundreds of millions? What are some good video games for elderly people? And is it possible there's a game as good as Balatro out there, but nobody has found it yet? This week, the Triple Click gang opens up the mailbag and takes some of your questions on all sorts of topics. One More Thing: Kirk: Black Doves (Netflix) Maddy: Steam Families Jason: The Roottrees Are Dead LINKS: Excerpts from “Crowning Celebration” by Paul Misko from The Case of the Golden Idol, 2022 and “New Wells of Conformity” by Paul Alexander from Case of the Golden Idol, 2024  Kirk’s new prediction: Death Stranding 2 will feature one (1) of the following people: Sydney Sweeney, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalomét, Christopher Nolan, Daniel Craig Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/ Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/