CORE - Core Gaming for Core Gamers

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**CORE – Core Gaming for Core Gamers**

Hosted by podcasting vet, Scott Johnson, Jon Jagger and Beau Schwartz. Weekly, on the frogpants network. Video games and the issues around them every week!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Latest Episodes:

PSA about our Summer Game Fest coverage Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

PSA about our Summer Game Fest coverage

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CORE 473: Switch 2 Day! Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

It’s Nintendo Switch 2 launch day! And one of us got one. Impressions about the new hardware, the snappy performance of the eShop, and the sucky bits of game upgrade pricing—some titles requiring up to $20 for performance boosts. "Nintendo Welcome Tour" requiring accessories for full completion is nuts, and we talk on past console campouts. Canadian royalty, bathroom disasters at Blizzard HQ, and the janitor-themed maintenance of "Heroes of the Storm." June 2025 game releases like Mario Kart World, Death Stranding 2, System Shock 2 Remaster, and others, including impressions from Sony’s State of Play. Lots more, plus your texts!

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CORE 472: Cat's Out of The Bag May 29, 2025

Show notes

We have “secret penises." Trust us, it will make sense. We’re giving away a copy of Doom: The Dark Ages, we speculate on Cyberpunk 2—its name, setting (possibly Chicago), and potential DLC—then dive into the animation studio behind the upcoming Cyberpunk anime followup. K-Pop Demon Hunters, Marathon possibly being delayed, and the over-saturation of extraction shooters…again. Love that Battlefront II is having a moment, we lament EA canceling the Black Panther game, and talk about the new face of WoW Classic and retail raid mechanics. And a WHOLE lot more.

GAMES PLAYED

SCOTT

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

The Precinct

JON

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

Duck Detective: Ghost of Glamping

BEAU

Monster Train 2

Doom Dark Ages VR Mod

Valheim: The Mistlands

Heroes of the Storm

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CORE 471: Real Fan Money May 22, 2025

Show notes

Bungie’s admission of using stolen artwork in Marathon, casting big doubt on the game's future. We talk about the extraction shooter genre and compare Marathon to games like Tarkov and Concord to mixed results. Randy Pitchford is back with a out-of-touch $80 pricing comment on X for Borderlands 4, and we review Borderlands and its spinoffs just for funs. All the new Warhammer game announcements and ridicule poorly made Baldur's Gate 3 miniatures. Plus all the games we played and your feedback and more!

GAMES PLAYED

SHARED

DOOM: The Dark Ages

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

SCOTT

Monster Train 2

Deliver at All Costs

Drop Duchy

(Some usuals with nothing new to add: ESO, Spell Rogue, Tsushima, etc.)

JON

Skin Deep

New Game Plus mode for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

BEAU

Watch_Dogs

sc2 co-op commanders, heroes, and valheim etc. etc.

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CORE 470: Hit The Bricks May 15, 2025

Show notes

We discuss the upcoming Super Mario Brothers movie sequel, "Super Mario World," and potential future titles for any sequels. Nintendo's updated EULA, allowing them to render devices unusable for cheating or using ROMs, causes some debate. We question the implications of "bricking" and the risk of false positives. And if Nintendo is even thinking about that. We talk about expensive boats, like the pirate ship in Elder Scrolls Online, and some additional talk about digital ownership and fake scarcity. “The Legend of Zelda” themed Dear Martha. Let’s talk about “Doom: The Dark Ages,” comparing it to the last two. And LOADS more!

GAMES PLAYED

SHARED

DOOM: The Dark Ages

SCOTT

The Elder Scrolls Online

Ghost of Tsushima

Skin Deep

Spell Rogue is 1.0

JON

100% clear of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

BEAU

Kingdom Come: Deliverence 2 Save system taking some getting used to.

Drop Duchy

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Blue Prince

Until Then

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CORE 469: Eccos of The Past May 08, 2025

Show notes

Microsoft's cross-platform success, upcoming remasters like Gears of War and Echo the Dolphin, and speculation around a Xbox-branded handheld got real this week. We debate about console competition, exclusivity, and digital storefront strategies, particularly Epic Games’ new developer incentives. They really wanna get the deals. Underwater level phobias. The new GTA trailer, and loads more!

GAMES PLAYED

JON

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

SCOTT

Kingdom Come Deliverance II

ESO, ES4, Skyrim

More Tsushima

BEAU

Heroes of the Storm

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CORE 468: Jackin' That Price May 02, 2025

Show notes

We discussed upcoming games like DOOM: The Dark Ages and Borderlands 4, along with delays for Grand Theft Auto 6 (now May 2026). Claire Obscure: Expedition 33 was praised for its stunning art, engaging combat, and emotional storytelling, though some criticized its timing mechanics. Sunderfolk, a couch co-op tactical RPG using phones as controllers, was highlighted for its seamless multiplayer and creative gameplay. We also touched on Ghost of Tsushima's satisfying ending and Overwatch 3's mobile MOBA announcement, which sparked mixed reactions. Lastly, we shared listener feedback and teased a potential Shadowdark campaign. 

GAMES PLAYED

SCOTT

Virtua Cop. (You heard me.)

JON

Beat Ghost of Tsushima

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Fortnite

BEAU

Sunderfolk V Rising

More MTG!

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CORE 467: Shadow Drop From Hell Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

The usual fun CORE time, including a shadow drop of a remastered Oblivion that impresses with modern graphics and UI while preserving some nostalgic jank. Excitement and skepticism around Nintendo Switch 2 preorders and supply issues. Also Sunderfolk, a co-op RPG using mobile phones as controllers, and a new Star Wars tactical RPG in the style of XCOM. All the games we played. And catching factual flaws in game history.

GAMES PLAYED

SHARED

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remaster

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Tempest Rising

SCOTT

Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion III

More Ghost of Tsushima

Minishoot Adventures

JON

ShadowDark

CyberPunk 2077

Blue Prince

Ghost of Tsushima

BEAU

Age of Wonders 4

SKALD Against the Black Priory

Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree

Magic: the Gathering

Valheim

Heroes of the Storm

StarCraft II

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CORE SPECIAL: Crashlands 2 and Seth Coster interview Apr 20, 2025

Show notes

Seth Coster, co-founder of Butterscotch Shenanigans, discusses Crashlands 2 with host Scott Johnson. They reflect on the smoother launch compared to the original, design philosophy that removes common survival game frustrations, and the importance of story, humor, and progression. Seth shares insights on development challenges, lessons from past games like Levelhead, community feedback, and upcoming patches. They also touch on player expectations, studio transparency, and the significance of their long-running podcast.

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CORE 466: Marathon Runners Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

We discussed Bungie’s reveal of the new extraction shooter Marathon, with mixed reactions—Scott liked the visuals, but none were excited by the genre really. We praised Baldur’s Gate 3’s final patch, talking new subclasses and full crossplay. Oblivion is rumored to be getting a remaster, as soon as next week, and sparking hope for a future Morrowind remake. We criticized PS5 price hikes and gushed over collector’s editions like the Doom “Will it Run” box, that none of us will own.

GAMES PLAYED

Scott

Crashlands 2

Return to Monkey Island

Ghost of Tsushima

Jon

Blue Prince

The Last of Us Part 2

WorldBox: God Simulator

Ghost of Tsushima

Baldur's Gate 3

Cyberpunk 2077