The Easy Allies Podcast

Latest Episodes:

SGF 2025 Hands-On Previews - Day Two - Dying Light, Xbox Handheld, and More Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

Our impressions on over 20 more games that we saw and played at the show. (Streamed June 10, 2025) (0:00) - Intro (0:48) - Shadow Labyrinth (7:15) - Ambrosia Sky (14:03) - End of Abyss (24:16) - Sleep Awake (32:10) - Grave Seasons (38:10) - Gears of War Reloaded and Xbox Handheld (48:19) - Petal Runner (56:13) - Dark Pictures - Directive 8020 (1:01:27) - Sonic Racing CrossWorlds (1:14:51) - Exoborne (1:19:00) - Morsels (1:26:40) - Baby Steps (1:34:40) - TOEM 2 (1:38:40) - Possessor(s) (1:48:44) - Deadpool VR (1:55:05) - Mistfall Hunter (1:59:02) - Escape Academy 2 (2:02:26) - Dosa Divas (2:08:20) - Bounty Star (2:16:17) - Dying Light: The Beast (2:25:27) - FBC Firebreak

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SGF 2025 Hands-On Previews w/ Shuhei Yoshida - Day One Jun 08, 2025

Show notes

We're back from the Summer Game Fest show floor, and Shuhei Yoshida hitched a ride. It's time to talk about over 20 games we checked out on Saturday. (Streamed June 8, 2025)

(0:00) - Intro

(1:05) - Reach

(7:38) - Ratatan

(10:40) - Sword of the Sea

(19:08) - Mixtape

(28:28) - Relooted

(30:32) - Yooka-Replayee

(36:28) - ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard

(39:08) - Bandit Trap

(43:54) - Crimson Desert

(57:39) - LEGO Party!

(1:10:10) - Shinobi

(1:18:07) - Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

(1:29:52) - OMUT

(1:34:10) - Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults

(1:39:23) - Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - New Class

(1:43:20) - Crisol: Theater of Idols

(1:48:25) - Thick As Thieves

(1:56:21) - Snap & Grab

(2:02:17) - Lou’s Lagoon

(2:08:24) - Adventure of Samsara

(2:12:43) - Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection

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Summer Game Fest and Switch 2 - Easy Allies Podcast - June 6, 2025 Jun 07, 2025

Show notes

Ep 478 - Summer Game Fest is here with loads of game announcements, and we've got four showcases to plow through. And oh yeah, Nintendo launched the Switch 2 this week, too! Watch the extended cut: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extended-summer-130915873 (0:00) - Intro (2:18) - State of Play (1:08:03) - Summer Game Fest (2:52:58) - A Word From Our Sponsors (2:54:50) - Day of the Devs (3:12:12) - Devolver (Ball X Pit) (3:20:32) - Switch 2 Launch Impressions (3:40:28) - L&R: Console Launch Memories (3:45:42) - L&R: Consoles Active or Storage (3:51:26) - L&R Game: Never Skip Credits (3:58:39) - Closing Go to https://www.shopify.com/allies for a one-dollar-per-month trial period to grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in.

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Nightreign and To a T w/ Elyse Willems - Easy Allies Podcast - May 30, 2025 Jun 01, 2025

Show notes

Ep 477 - Elyse Willems joins us on the desk to chat about what she's been playing including To a T and Doom: The Dark Ages. Elden Ring Nightreign keeps us running back for more, and EA has slashed another talented studio, cancelling their Black Panther game.

Check out Answer for It podcast with Elyse!

https://www.youtube.com/@answerforIt

(0:00) - Intro

(3:42) - What's Elyse Doing?

(7:51) - Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Impressions

(13:28) - Doom: The Dark Ages Impressions

(17:10) - The Roottrees Are Dead Impressions

(19:47) - EA Cancelled Black Panther

(34:08) - Elden Ring Nightreign Impressions

(1:02:21) - To a T Impressions

(1:14:44) - TMNT: Tactical Takedown Impressions

(1:25:23) - Top 10 Best Dressed Characters

(1:43:25) - Also This Week

(1:55:10) - L&R: Switch 2's Projected Legacy

(2:11:43) - L&R: Dream SGF Reveal

(2:15:35) - L&R Game: Nintendo Launch Games

(2:26:15) - Bets

(2:30:48) - Closing

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Hell is Us Interview - Creating Language to Envision Something New May 30, 2025

Show notes

We chat with Creative Director Jonathan Jacques-Belletête about his transition from Eidos Montreal to Rogue Factor, and the creative decisions behind not just Hell is Us, but how they're rethinking better ways to work on video games.

Also be sure to check out our hands-on preview for Hell is Us:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T58VnYMkg0

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Behind the Scenes Games Biz Stories w/ Chris Kramer - Easy Allies Podcast - May 23, 2025 May 25, 2025

Show notes

Ep 476 - Industry veteran Chris Kramer shares how they kept Resident Evil from being too easy, why they made the Mega Man 9 box art intentionally bad, and other inside stories from 30 years in the games business. Plus it's a stacked week of games with Deadzone Rogue, Onimusha 2, Deliver At All Costs, and more.

Get the extended cut: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extended-behind-129687224

(0:00) - Intro

(6:09) - Games Biz Stories from Chris Kramer

(59:30) - Kramer's Doom: The Dark Ages Impressions

(1:13:51) - Deadzone Rogue Impressions

(1:22:26) - A Word From Our Sponsors

(1:24:24) - Tanuki: Pon's Summer Preview

(1:33:11) - Onimusha 2: Remaster Impressions

(1:51:29) - Deliver At All Costs Impressions

(2:02:28) - April Sales Report

(2:12:01)- Also This Week

(2:27:16) - L&R: The Littlest Things

(2:33:10) - L&R: Memorable Cheats

(2:39:19) - L&R: GTA Endings

(2:47:21) - Bets

(2:54:25) - Closing

Go to https://www.shopify.com/allies for a one-dollar-per-month trial period to grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in.

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The Alters Interview - Bringing Personal Connections to a Survival Game May 22, 2025

Show notes

While I was in Poland last week, I had a chance to speak with Game Director, Tomasz Kisilewicz, to discuss the changes that have been made in the past year. My appointment came up pretty early in my play session, but we got to talk about changes in character movement and updates to take the pressure off players so they can explore and interact with the story. Plus, we discuss designing a game like this that crosses the barriers to multiple audiences and get into some juicy details about how much impact players can expect to have on the story.

-Bloodworth

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20 Years of iam8bit w/ Jon Gibson - Easy Allies Podcast - May 16, 2025 May 18, 2025

Show notes

Ep 475 - In 20 years, iam8bit has gone from putting together small art galleries to becoming a driving force behind industry events like Summer Game Fest. Founder Jon Gibson stops in to talk about the company's history and the times we've crossed paths along the way. Also, Giant Bomb is back and Isla's Croc talk!

Get the extended cut: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extended-20-of-w-129164256

(0:00) - Intro

(6:10) - 20 Years of iam8bit

(36:47) - Giant Bomb is Now Owned by Giant Bomb

(1:04:04) - Isla's Croc Talk

(1:12:02) - Jon's Blue Prince Impressions

(1:29:24) - Jon's Mario Kart World and Switch 2 Impressions

(1:37:30) - Labyrinth of the Demon King Impressions

(1:51:42) - Also This Week - Kingdom Hearts IV

(2:04:48) - More Also This Week

(2:18:45) - L&R: Boss Heals

(2:25:28) - L&R: Brand Crossovers

(2:30:54) - L&R Game: Which Cooked Longest?

(2:43:20) - Bets

(2:50:26) - Closing

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GTA VI Disappoints and Delights - Easy Allies Podcast - May 9, 2025 May 11, 2025

Show notes

Ep 474 - Grand Theft Auto VI is hitting us with double headlines by delaying until next year then dropping a new trailer. We get our first solid look at Mafia: The Old Country, and remasters are on the way for Gears of War and Ecco the Dolphin.

Get the extended cut: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extended-gta-vi-128517640

(0:00) - Intro

(4:56) - GTA VI Delay / Trailer 2

(41:22) - Mafia: The Old Country Gameplay Reveal

(52:30) - Gears of War: Reloaded

(1:01:19) - A Word From Our Sponsor

(1:03:41) - Ecco the Dolphin is Coming Back!?

(1:15:00) - Nintendo Financial Report Highlights

(1:41:48) - Also This Week

(1:49:00) - L&R: Remasters to Fill Out Game Pass

(1:54:05) - L&R: Price Increases Here to Stay?

(2:02:39) - L&R Game: Doom or Fast Food?

(2:13:42) - Bets

(2:17:21) - Closing

Go to https://www.shopify.com/allies for a one-dollar-per-month trial period to grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in.

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Skin Deep, Days Gone, and A Lotta Mess - Easy Allies Podcast - May 2, 2025 May 04, 2025

Show notes

Ep 473 - It's a rough news week on multiple fronts, but we try to take some solace in flushing some pirates' heads down the toilet and going for another ride on Deacon's motorcycle. *Days Gone Remastered Provided by PlayStation

Get the extended cut: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extended-skin-2-127974581

(0:00) - Intro

(5:18) - Shout Out to Polygon and Giant Bomb

(28:17) - Borderlands 4 State of Play

(42:16) - Codemasters Says No Rally Games in Development

(52:45) - Skin Deep Impressions

(1:04:59) - Lunar Remaster Impressions

(1:22:38) - A Word From Our Sponsors

(1:24:37) - Days Gone Remastered Impressions

(1:39:42) - Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3 Impressions

(1:50:17) - Top 10 Intentionally Funny Games

(2:01:37) - Also This Week