Best VG247 Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 99: The best game with WET guys that DRY OFF 35:10

1h ago35:10

35:10

Realistic water and wetness were seen for years as a litmus test for photorealistic graphics, but by the PS3 generation, developers had it nailed: water shaders had become so sophisticated that Nathan Drake would emerge from a full dousing of seawater and slowly dry off, with his clothes soaked, and skin glistening. It was a mesmerising effect: it’…

1
Episode 98: The best game with shooting where you don't get a gun for ages 34:32

1d ago34:32

34:32

Whatever your attitude to guns in real life (for the record, they’re awful and civilians shouldn’t have them), it’s hard not to become a sort of virtual gun nut when you’re a gaming enthusiast because, inevitably, our primary interaction with game worlds is shooting bullets into them. Even games which emphatically are not shooters often feature gun…

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The best game in which you fight a bear 38:46

6d ago38:46

38:46

Hello and welcome to episode 97 of the Best Games Ever Podcast. As is traditional, let us give you some information about the show. This week we are looking for our contestants to think of the best game in which you fight a bear. Let's see if anyone decides to subvert the topic in ways that cause mutiny within the ranks. As ever, host Jim Trinca mu…

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The best game they wouldn't get away with these days!!!! 35:46

13d ago35:46

35:46

You can’t say anything these days! Is what silly people say, a lot. You can actually say whatever you like. You can say, for example, and with confidence, that there are certain things you could get away with in gaming thirty years ago that simply wouldn’t fly now. Like… racing games with only one track. Platformers with a length of 20mins if you’r…

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The best game where your family DITCHES you 29:51

20d ago29:51

29:51

Inspired by the (frankly excellent) Fallout TV show, this week on VG247's Best Games Ever podcast I've tasked my colleagues with finding the best game where a family member ditches you. With the prerequisite understanding that none of them are allowed to pick Fallout 3, the quintessential "dad's buggered off" simulator. As it turns out, being forsa…

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A free game we’d love to pay for – The Best Games Ever Podcast episode 94 29:43

27d ago29:43

29:43

Inspired by the recent free drop of current viral sensation Content Warning – a co-op survival “shooter” about making spooky FauxTube videos with three of your mates – this week’s Best Games Ever podcast is all about freebies that we’d happily pay for. It’s a happy coincidence that this topic coincides with the launch of our extended podcast: a pai…

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Episode 93: Best game everyone on social media says you should hate but is actually good 59:56

1M ago59:56

59:56

The Best Games Ever podcast is a game show where three totally normal and socially acceptable panellists have to find the best game in a peculiar category such as "Best game with a breakfast buffet", or "Best game with loads of vandalism". They have to pitch their pick to our host, Jim, who uses his power to decide the winner. But there's a lot of …

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Episode 92: The best Deep Impact to another game's Armageddon? 1:10:24

1M ago1:10:24

1:10:24

Big Western style open-world RPGs from beloved Japanese studios who tend to be known for other things (inhale) are like buses: there's none for ages, and then two come along at once! See also: Clinton-era disaster movies about Earth getting clobbered by an asteroid. See also: Clinton-era disaster movies about America getting clobbered by volcanoes.…

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Episode 91: The best unofficial adaptation of a movie or TV show 1:02:01

2M ago1:02:01

1:02:01

It’s clear from Helldivers 2’s marketing that the game is directly inspired by Blair-era Dutch arthouse anti-war movie Starship Troopers. It’s also clear from playing it that Warhammer 40,000 and the future war bits of Terminator have made their mark on the project, and with its sprawling, player led, strictly PVE campaign engendering a keen sense …

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Episode 90: The best game with a load of sand in it 56:33

2M ago56:33

56:33

It's been long and arduous road to something resembling a worthy adaptation of Frank "dirty" Herbert's sand-based epic Dune, but with the recent release of Denis Villeneuve's Dune 2, we can safely call that one done. I just hope we get enough sequels for the films to start covering such nonsense as half-worm emperors and chair dogs. Aside from the …

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Episode 89: The best live service game that you like despite itself 1:07:16

2M ago1:07:16

1:07:16

If you're anything like me, nothing makes you lose interest in a game quicker than the words "always online". Or "free-to-play". Or "connected experience", or whatever other marketing terms they've come up with for "live service grindfest that sucks". Sometimes they don't even tell you upfront that it's a GAAS title, leaving it up to the prospectiv…

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Episode 88: The best game that shipped on multiple discs 51:17

2M ago51:17

51:17

Physical game releases have been in danger of disappearing for a long time, what with Steam all but killing the PC optical drive, a cheaper discless PS5, and the rumoured incoming Xbox Series refresh which will do away with bluray even on the premium model. They're not likely to die off entirely: there will always be holdouts in the die-hard enthus…

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Episode 87: Blackbeard's syphilitic pinger 44:35

3M ago44:35

44:35

The Best Games Ever podcast is a game show where three regular panellists have to find the best game in a weirdly specific category such as "Best game with a named horse", or "Best game with a terrible British accent". They have to pitch their pick to our host, Jim, who then decides the winner. But there's a lot of office politics, backstabbing, an…

1
The best game you hate that everyone loves 43:40

3M ago43:40

43:40

Sometimes it's just really baffling why certain games are popular. And you wonder to yourself if it's just because you're broken in some way. What malfunction or defect from birth would lead someone to, say, think Horizon Zero Dawn is a load of cobblers? We're here to reassure you that it's fine, actually, to just not get Mass Effect. To look on in…

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Do NOT mention this game on the podcast 40:01

3M ago40:01

40:01

What's the best game that has no business being brought up on a podcast that's all about the Best Games Ever? If you can get your head around that, you're already way ahead of our regular panel. Some of the worst games ever made are also the most interesting. Take Night Trap, for example: it's arguably one of the most important games in the history…

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Episode 84: Best Game that you can't stop going back to despite having a huge pile of shame to work through 41:59

4M ago41:59

41:59

Honestly, we've got no idea what episode this is. Jim thinks this is Season 2, which is news to everyone else, but it's also sort of episode 84. This week we pick the games that we just can't stop going back to. The games that, despite knowing we have newer titles to work through, we play at every opportunity. Do you have one? Oh, and we introduce …

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2023 games you FORGOT about 37:56

4M ago37:56

37:56

So much STUFF game out in 2023 - we had Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a new Baldur's Gate, a Skyrim sequel which introduced such innovations to the series as: Guns and Boring. Starfield, I'm talking about. And you knew that, but I have to spell it out in the body text because a certain tech giant has taken wordplay, nuance, and creativity out onto t…

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The Best Games Ever Show Christmas Special 2023 38:11

5M ago38:11

38:11

Well, for the six of you who kept asking, Merry Christmas. For this festive episode on VG247’s Best Games Ever Show, Tom and Jim are reunited with friends and former colleagues Simon Miller and Steve Burns. Since they all parted ways from their infamous stint at VideoGamer.com, Simon has gone on to become a professional wrestler, in-demand presente…

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Podcast Audit #3: Tom reveals the guest he hates the most 43:22

5M ago43:22

43:22

We have a lot of guests on the VG247 podcast because we know a lot of Games Media Personalities and most of them are too polite and/or socially inept to say "no" when we ask them to be on our podcast. In the last year we've had such Talented Greats as Mike Channel from Outside Xbox And Things and James Batchelor who has written some books. But whic…

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Episode 81: Best game that's a Spin-off into a completely different genre 55:58

5M ago55:58

55:58

The VG247 crew is back to decide on yet another Best Game Ever. In this week's show we're looking at games that are spin-off from a game in a totally different genre. So, things like how Mario Kart is a 'Mario' game but not a 2D platformer that the series became famous for. You get the idea. As always, our host Jim Trinca makes a complete mess of p…

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Episode 80: Shock Betrayals and Other Gaming Tropes 40:55

5M ago40:55

40:55

Tom's back by popular demand, but also to answer for his crimes against a previous guest: James Batchelor, author of The Best Non-Violent Video Games. For weeks following James' deserved win, Tom and Conner said some Very Mean things about him and his book, and even implied that virtuous host Jim Trinca (who is fair and kind) would let anyone win i…

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Episode 79: What’s the best game that we’d give a kicking? 44:31

6M ago44:31

44:31

Recently, our friend and long time VG247 contributor Sherif Saed gave Pinnochio-themed soulslike Lies of P a bit of a pasting in his review. Our two star score prompted a lot of backlash from some quarters, and also a bit of internal discussion about the nature of opinion pieces. How reviews can sometimes be a flashpoint of controversy, and how sco…

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Episode 78: The best game you can finish in one sitting 43:24

6M ago43:24

43:24

Hours of gameplay is a deceptive stat. We’re conditioned to think that a bigger number is better in all things when it comes to this hobby, and how long it takes to complete something is seen as part of its value proposition. If a full price game launches with a six hour campaign, for example, there’s hell to pay. Doesn’t matter how good those six …

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Episode 77: The best game set in London 43:19

6M ago43:19

43:19

London shows up in a lot of games. It’s in a lot of Call of Dutys, which is the biggest shooter franchise in the world. It has the distinction of being the only non-US city ever depicted in GTA, which is the biggest crime franchise in the world after the royal family. Blimey, Ubisoft have done London four times, they can’t get enough of it. It even…

1
Episode 76: The best game where the protagonist has a stupid pun for a name 36:23

6M ago36:23

36:23

From Alan Wake (he’s A. Wake, get it? Get it?) to Miles Prower, there are loads of video game protagonists whose names are rubbish puns. Well, actually there isn’t, but it’s happened just often enough that there’s sufficient material for this edition of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Halloween fell between the gaps of our posting schedule, so we …

1
Episode 75: The Best New York Game 46:06

7M ago46:06

46:06

Gimme ham steak on rye with extra pickles and a dozen egg whites on the side. Hold the pickles. Who's uncle do I gotta bribe to get a parking space around here? Get outta here. And so on. Yes, this week we're asking our esteemed panel: what the best game set in New York (or a facsimile thereof)? There are an absurd number of games to choose from. T…

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Episode 74: The Best Detective Game 32:19

7M ago32:19

32:19

Inspired by the recent-ish release of Detective Pikachu Returns, the topic of this week’s Best Games Ever show is: what’s the best Detective Game? And it’s a doozy of a topic, because there’s so many to choose from. Investigative gameplay crops up in so many things. Even the recent Assassin’s Creed games could arguably qualify, if you’re happy to d…

1
Episode 73: The Best Ultraviolent Spectacle 39:29

7M ago39:29

39:29

Video games and excessive violence go together like cheese and crackers. Laurel and Hardy. Beer and nuts. Bacon and, er, rolls. Playstation exclusives and the concept of mediocrity. We love simulated violence here at VG247, but not the real stuff, so when it came to the task of deciding which notably ultraviolent game is the best one of all we deci…

1
Episode 72: What's the best driving (not racing) game? 39:21

7M ago39:21

39:21

I don't have a driving licence. I can't drive a car. People assume I can because I like games with cars in them. I don't bother to correct people anymore, as I'm almost 41 years old and I simply can't be bothered. If you've ever imagined me driving a car because you assumed I could drive a car and this revelation has shaken you to your core, changi…

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Episode 71: What's the best Cyberpunk Game that isn't Cyberpunk 2077? 39:04

8M ago39:04

39:04

We all love a bit of Cyberpunk don't we? And did you know that there are loads of games that use that setting and aesthetic that aren't Cyberpunk 2077? Sure, CD Projekt Red's game has just received a massive update, making it better than ever alongside a brilliant expansion, but if you had to pick a Cyberpunk game that isn't that, what would you ch…

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Episode 70: The best game with a surprise guest star or cameo 40:01

8M ago40:01

40:01

Whether it’s Patrick Stewart in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Sean Bean in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, or Terrence Stamp in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, there are numerous examples of big name hollywood actors showing up in video games, and it’s always an exciting little surprise to hear a familiar voice that isn’t Troy Baker. But sometime…

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Episode 69: The Best Easter Game 33:18

8M ago33:18

33:18

If you didn't listen to last week's show you might be confused as to why we're doing a an Easter episode in September. Well, Jim was goaded into it (like he was with the Christmas episode), so we're doing it. We also reserve the right to do another one when it's actually Easter (we're smart like that). What constitutes an "Easter Game" is even more…

1
Episode 68: The Best Christmas Game 37:00

8M ago37:00

37:00

If you didn't listen to last week's show you might be confused as to why we're doing a Christmas episode in September. Well, Jim was goaded into it, so we're doing it. We also reserve the right to do another one when it's actually Christmas. What constitutes a "Christmas Game" is even more wooly a concept than a "Christmas Movie", because examples …

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Episode 67: The Best German Game 40:23

9M ago40:23

40:23

Germany isn't especially known for its game development, but there's a huge amount of stuff that gets made there. You've got Astragon, which you might not have heard of, but you’ve definitely heard of the range of simulators it publishes. You've got Piranha Bytes, who’ve been making incredibly 6/10 RPGs since before most of the VG247 crew were on s…

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Episode 66: The Best Bethesda game that isn't a Bethesda game 35:04

9M ago35:04

35:04

With the imminent release of Starfield, people the world over are about to fill their boots once again with Bethesda’s signature style of go anywhere, do anything game. Unless they don’t have an Xbox or a decent PC, that is. But Bethesda aren’t the only studio who have had a crack at that particular style of vast open-world RPG: indeed, they’ve ins…

1
Episode 65: The best game where nobody gets killed 32:18

9M ago32:18

32:18

Video games and murder are like cheese and crackers. Vic and Bob. The Edinburgh Fringe and disgruntled locals. A classic partnership, but hardly inseparable: though our chief interaction with these virtual worlds is to deal death to their residents, it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, there are thousands of video games out there where you aren…

1
Episode 64: The best game you love despite itself 56:07

9M ago56:07

56:07

Welcome to the Best Games Ever show Episode 64: The best game you love despite itself. Some games make it hard to love them. My beloved Assassin's Creed, for example, is often hard to recommend to people, because so many of the games get bogged down in icon janitor nonsense, obscuring the feelgood sense of motion at the heart of the gameplay, and t…

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Episode 63: The best game that you can't bring up at parties 35:51

10M ago35:51

35:51

Baldur's Gate 3 is finally upon us if you're a PC gamer, in which case, this episode is especially for you, because it's all about good games that you wouldn't dare bring up in polite company. Or impolite company. Gaming, despite its mainstream acceptance in recent years, is still an extremely nerdy hobby, full of very niche stuff that rarely makes…

1
Episode 62: The best game that's a shameless rip off 45:32

10M ago45:32

45:32

As a medium, video games are often a vast fabric of inspiration-taking, borrowed ideas, and of course shameless rip offs. Some of the biggest and best games in decades have been the result of a lot of hard work coupled with the healthy practice of nabbing what's popular during development. A tad dishonest? Maybe - but it's how some of the biggest g…

1
Episode 61: The best management sim 41:01

10M ago41:01

41:01

Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 61: The best management sim. Video games are a treasure trove if you like managing things. People. Buildings. Civilisations. Transport networks. Space programs (as in NASA, not as in Star Trek). Whatever organisational or logistic problem you can imagine, there's probably some kind of video game that atte…

1
Episode 60: The best game with a reptile. 38:44

10M ago38:44

38:44

Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 60: The best game with a reptile. With Gex making his grand return, now seems like the perfect opportunity to take a look at video game reptiles. There are loads, obviously, of various levels of importance. So this episode is a real toss up! Who will win... who knows! You'll have to give it a watch or lis…

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Episode 59: The best game with the worst gimmick 33:59

11M ago33:59

33:59

Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 59: The best game with the worst gimmick. There are plenty of crap games with bad gimmicks. Tony Hawk: RIDE, for example, which was built around a terrible skateboard-shaped controller peripheral and was basically a terrible game as a result. Or Crime Boss: Rockay City, which is a painfully bottom tier he…

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Episode 58: The best use of a mega-popular license 33:59

11M ago33:59

33:59

Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 58: The best use of a mega popular license. Licensed games are big business. The richest studios and publishers in the galaxy all have a foothold in the gaming space because, as countless CEOs and market analysts tell us every year, video games make more money than Hollywood, musical theatre, gardening pr…

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Episode 57: The best game where you play a dead guy 24:04

11M ago24:04

24:04

Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 57: The best game where you play a dead guy. Gaming is stuffed to the coffin lid with undead protagonists. Vampires. Poltergeists. Murdered detectives with unfinished business. Starship captains resurrected from death by a rogue human supremacist terrorist organisation with a trillionaire CEO. The list go…

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Episode 56: The best globetrotting travel game 36:51

11M ago36:51

36:51

Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 56: the best globetrotting travel game. This week we welcome our first guest panellist, the ever endearing Bertie Purchese from Eurogamer! If you've ever gone to EGX you may know Bertie as the eccentric host of the Eurogamer Pub Quiz, and if you're generally interested in games writing you'll have come ac…

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Episode 55: The best game with horse armour (but you can't have Oblivion) 34:55

11M ago34:55

34:55

Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 55: The best game with horse armour (but you can't have Oblivion) 2006 feels like a lifetime ago. I’m sure for at least some of you reading, it literally was. In which case you won’t remember the utter stink that was kicked up over the concept of – get this – paying actual real money for in-game cosmetic …

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Episode 54: The best game that's a sequel to a bad game 35:03

12M ago35:03

35:03

Because we live in a meritocracy, rubbish things never get sequels. Except we don't live in a meritocracy, we live in hell, and therefore rubbish things often get nine sequels and a spin-off TV show while good things are busy getting rejected in board rooms. Such is life. But it's not necessarily a bad thing, because every now and then, sequels far…

1
Episode 53: The best game with a terrible name 32:08

12M ago32:08

32:08

The video game industry has a long and legendary history of awful names. Several developers have spent literally millions of dollars on otherwise excellent games just to slap the most staggeringly awful title on the final product. Boring names are common enough, with tepid words like War, Quest or Royale thrown in there more as a tone setter than a…

1
Episode 52: The best game with a ginger protagonist 27:00

1y ago27:00

27:00

Welcome to the Best Games Ever show Episode 52: the best game with a ginger protagonist. Cal Kestis of Star Wars: Jedi Survivor is just the latest in a long line of Gaming Redheads, an esteemed group that includes such celebrated characters as Official Femshep, Joanna Dark, and what's-her-face out of Heavenly Sword. And it makes me swell with pride…

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Episode 51: The best Zelda game that isn't a Zelda game 33:32

1y ago33:32

33:32

Almost every action adventure game with RPG elements and dungeons, that's set in an open or semi-open world, can trace its roots – a link to the past, if you will – back to the original Legend of Zelda game on the NES. And this is surprising, because that game is 37 years old. That’s roughly as old as I am, which in human terms is “should probably …

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