It's the end of the series and the end of Kentaro Miura's Berserk. On this episode, Reid and Gareth discuss "Great Gurus" to "Teardrop of Morning Dew" (chapters 345 to 364 from volumes 39 to 41). Though we're mainly interested in talking about the end of Berserk in general, we also get into Casca's "recovery," a reference to the literal idea of evi…

Gareth and Reid are living peacefully in an ancient Roman metropolis on this episode and extending a not-at-all ominous invitation for you to join us here as we talk about "Shooting Star" to "Village of Witches" (chapters 328-344) from volumes 37 to 39. As our series on Berserk nears its end, we get into what comes after the achievement of Griffith…

Reid and Gareth may be a bit at sea in this episode, but, to be fair, so is Berserk itself in this stretch of the story. Hop aboard to join us as we cast away into the Fantasia Arc, starting off with an episode covering "Ghost Ship" to "Surfacing" (chapters 308-327) from volumes 35 to 37. Will the waters remain as choppy as they are in this section…

Gareth and Reid are tossing this podcast into the local demon womb and becoming a towering affront to reason itself on this episode of our Berserk podcast. Listen on as we cover "On Board" to "Falconia" (chapters 286-207) from volumes 32 to 35, wrapping up the Falcon of the Millennium Empire Arc by talking about the incredible scale of the series' …

Reid and Gareth are flying into battle against giant mist-men in this episode, which covers "Divine Revelation" to Hero (chapters 264-285) from volumes 30 to 32 of Berserk. It's mostly a whole lot of fighting this time around, but we also get Guts riding around on Zodd's back and more instances of one of our favourite character archetypes: nasty, s…

Gareth and Reid cordially invite you to this, the most elegant episode of our Berserk podcast to date. This time, we're discussing "Proclaimed Omens" to "Demon Beast Invasion" (chapters 237-263) from volumes 28 to 30. We have crocodile men. We have Skull Knight dialogue. We have questions about the humanity and/or divinity of Guts. We also have an …

Reid and Gareth, bodies formed of clumped together troll guts, are back to keep talking about Berserk's Falcon of the Millennium Empire Arc. On this episode, we're looking at "Retribution" through to "Roar of the Sea," chapters 217-236 from volumes 26 and 27. Come along with us for a discussion about Guts becoming a nice, supportive guy between rag…

Gareth and Reid continue diving into the swampy waters of Kentaro Miura's Berserk with a new episode covering chapters 198-216 (from volumes 24 and 25), "The Witch" through to "Corruption." We spend a bit of time mired in a bog of magical exposition here before talking about the series' focus on paganism, its trolls, and, most importantly, the intr…

Reid and Gareth have emerged from screaming, blood red eggs as strange new forms that are more appropriate for this, the beginning of the second half of our look through Kentaro Miura's Berserk. On this episode, we begin a discussion of the Falcon of the Millennium Empire Arc (or Millennium Falcon Arc, if you're not scared of Disney), talking throu…

Gareth and Reid are breaking out of their shells and ushering in the corpse-goop final days with an episode about the end of Berserk's Conviction Arc (chapters 151-176, "Captives" to "Determination and Departure"). In this episode, we get into how Kentaro Miura depicts characters experiencing absolute terror, the fantasy of retribution for systems …

Reid and Gareth are heading on down to the Tower of Conviction for a trip through chapters 126 to 150 ("Revelations" to "The Cliff") of Berserk. This time, we're talking about a bunch of absolutely miserable people living on the precipice of the apocalypse, hanging out with some goatman-worshiping orgy fans, and meeting the stone-faced, thwomp-pray…

Gareth and Reid are sprouting wings and buzzing on into the beginning of Berserk's Conviction Arc with this episode on chapters 95-125, volumes 14 to 17. Now that the plot has finally caught back up to its post-Eclipse "present-day," we're back to a giant sword-wielding, arm cannon-toting, scowl-enthusiast version of Guts. With his return--and the …

Reid and Gareth have applied droplets of blood to our audio behelit and summoned the end of The Golden Age with a look at chapters 70-94 ("Requiem of the Wind" through to "He Who Hunts Dragons") in volumes 12 to 14. We spend this episode discussing the Eclipse, the infamous climax to Berserk's extended flashback sequence, which includes more conver…

Gareth and Reid cover chapters 23-69, from "The Battle for Doldrey" through to "The Immortal Once Again," in volumes 7 to 11 of Berserk. In this episode, the Band of the Hawk falls apart, leading us into a discussion of the changing dimensions of Guts, Griffith, and Caska's relationship, with all the commentary on friendship, sexuality, and power t…

Reid and Gareth cover chapters 7-22, from "A Wind of Words" through to "Campfire of Dreams," in volumes 5 to 7 of Berserk. In this episode, we're introduced to everyone's favourite bear/lion/goat/bat monster, Nosferatu Zodd, join varsity sports team Band of the Hawk as they face off against their rivals, wade into how sexual assault is used by Miur…

Gareth and Reid are hoisting their enormous swords onto their shoulders and setting off down memory lane with a discussion of Berserk's multi-volume flashback arc: the Golden Age. We get into chapters 1-6 from volumes 3 and 4, covering the not-so-halcyon childhood days of Guts' youth, the comic's shifting art style as it focuses on medieval setting…

Reid and Gareth pick up where we left off last episode by discussing "Guardian Angels of Desire," from the end of Berserk's first volume through to the beginning of Vol. 3. This time, we talk about the first glimpses of Miura's Escher-indebted depiction of hellish alternate dimensions, are introduced to the God Hand and Berserk's wider fiction, dea…

Gareth Damian Martin and Reid McCarter begin a look at the entirety of Kentaro Miura's Berserk with a discussion of its first two chapters, "Black Swordsman" and "The Brand" from Volume 1. In our debut episode, we discuss how we first encountered Berserk, the influences it draws from (and the work it's influenced in turn), and the joy of looking at…

We wrap up the plot of Disco Elysium and discuss the final events of the game, which fold the game's myriad themes into a great morass just waiting to be picked apart. Listen for our thoughts on The Human Project as a destructive force, nihilism as a selfish luxury, the overwhelming trauma of ideology, and nature's role as a fascinated, horrified w…

We pick up in the aftermath of the shootout and discuss the quiet sequences that precede the ending - an encounter with Lilienne the net picker, a hunt for mythical creatures, and a soul-crushing dream as seen through the world's rosiest glasses. For further reading, check out Bullet Points (Bulletpointsmonthly.com), which recently published a full…

On this episode of Savoir Faire, we observe the concepts of justice and policing in Disco Elysium through the difficult characters of Ruby and Klaasje. For further reading, check out Bullet Points (Bulletpointsmonthly.com), which recently published a full month's worth of Disco Elysium essays. Intro/Outro music is the End Credits theme from the Dis…

On this episode of Savoir Faire, we delve into characters and events that trace out some of Disco Elysium's most important themes - the curse of inheritance, aimless rage toward the status quo, and the relentless pursuit of a truth that may or may not exist. For further reading, check out Bullet Points (Bulletpointsmonthly.com), which recently publ…

Are we defined by our decisions, or by the twisted branching paths of thought that precede them? We explore this question through the lens of Disco Elysium and the characters of Kim Kitsuragi, Evrart Claire, and Measurehead. For further reading, check out Bullet Points (Bulletpointsmonthly.com), which just published a full month's worth of Disco El…

Disco Elysium is destined to become a modern classic in the videogame canon. In this episode, we discuss what makes the game one-of-a-kind, from the nuances of its system, to the caliber of its writing, to the distinct impact of its themes. We limit talk to around the first third of the game, and mostly cover what happens at the church, the union, …

Is this the end?! Sort of... Player Vs. Podcast is going on indefinite hiatus, but we've still got a great episode. In a fortunate throw back, we dive deep into the mysterious Return of the Obra Dinn (long time listeners may remember the demo was one of our favorite game of the week selections). We talk a little bit about Read Dead Redemption 2, Sp…

E3 predictions after the biggest announcements have already come out? You know how we do. Sarah, Josh, Chris, and Ruben talk about their E3 pipe dreams as well as Cultist Simulator, Pokemon Quest, Bloodborne, and Pandemic Legacy. We’re all over the map in this month's Out of Bounds! We cover BTS’ chart topping new album, Avengers: Infinity War, DNA…

Sarah, Chris, and Ruben kick things off with mobile games talk, some good (Florence) and some not so good (Hogwarts Mystery). Ruben gushes about God of War, eventually leading to some discussion of the rise of dedicated photo modes and capturing the perfect Kratos selfie. Out of bounds hits on Nintendo Labo (still kind of a video game), Avengers:In…

With more playtime behind it, Josh, Chris, and Ruben finally talk about, y'know, hunting monsters in Monster Hunter World. We get caught up in the bullet physics of Player Unknown Battlegrounds, gush about Slay the Spire and card based genre-bending, and take shots at Final Fantasy XV while being intrigued by the Pocket Edition remake. Ever play a …

We haven't played too much of it, but that doesn't stop us from talking Monster Hunter: World! Celeste gets called out as an early GOTY contender and we jump back into Horizon Zero Dawn with the Frozen Wilds DLC. Everyone has a little high school flashback with our visual novel game of the week, Butterfly Soup. Out of Bounds covers a wide range thi…

Sarah, Chris, and Ruben couldn't let the greatest year of video games (ever) pass by without comment. GOTY lists are so last year, but that doesn't them from giving props to Horizon Zero Dawn, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Super Mario Odyssey. They also make resolutions to rescue PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrific…

Josh, Ruben, and Sarah perform a hat trick by all playing games with a female lead. Ruben chills with his robo-pals in Horizon: Zero Dawn. Josh gets chills from the voices in his head during Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Sarah is decidedly unchill during the jaw-clenching, finger-swiping combat in Severed. Other honorable mentions include NieR: Aut…

The gang is back just in time to cover this year's leaner, meaner E3 (spoiler, Nintendo won). Josh gushes about Nier: Automata, Chris feeds on chaos in Overcooked, Sarah answers the question, “what is Magikarp good for?” in Magikarp Jump, and Ruben punishes himself with more Mass Effect: Andromeda. Everyone discusses endless gratification in Sort t…

Ruben reveals Sarah is his favorite PVPCaster (while Chris quietly mopes). The trio tackles Snipper Clips, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Super Hot VR, and Arizona Sunshine. Is bread inherently funny? Our FGOTW, A Day in the Life of a Slice of Bread, seems to think so. We collectively pledge allegiance to the McElroy Empire and rekindle the Rick and Morty…

Josh and Chris are joined by two new members: Kasim and Ruben. The crew talks AM2R (Another Metroid 2 Remake), Horizon: Zero Dawn, Mass Effect: Andromeda hype, Resident Evil 7 and Zelda (our will is weak). Everyone realizes that so far 2017 has been damn good for games, what a time to be alive! After the jump we discuss Lost Constellation, a free s…

We hit a milestone, the big five-oh, but keep it cool after a long hiatus. This week we gush over both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the Nintendo Switch. GOTY 2017? Josh and Chris are already calling it. Alexander doubles back to a little Witcher 3 and Civilization 6 talk. Sarah discusses Night In The Woods, which is like chatting wit…

We have returned! Josh, Alexander, Chris, and Sarah have plenty to cover since the last episode including the cute sadness of Owlboy, the excitement (?) of base management in XCOM2, and text-based fun with Event Zero, Mystic Messenger, and Lifeline. Why get your narrative fix from books when you can chat with fictional love interests and save a tre…

We didn't get enough of it last episode, so for episode 48 of Player Vs. Podcast, we talk more about INSIDE, which is quickly becoming one of our favorite games of the year. We also talk about games like DOOM, Gotta Protectors, No Man's Sky, and our free game of the week, called You Have 10 Seconds. Join us for our next episode, where we'll be talk…

Josh is back with a vengeance, kiddos! This week our "free" game (support indie game dev!) is "Solitude", so go check that out. We also talk about Pokemon Go, INSIDE, Hearthstone, Overwatch, and other games in our weekly recap. Then, for out of bounds, we talk about KS Fest, some anime series, and then some more Pokemon Go because Alexander is tota…

This week it’s an E3 recap! Where’s Josh you say? Who knows! Sarah takes over hosting duties as we go through as much of the news as we can remember. Chris finally has an Oculus Rift to play with and gets to experience VR nausea first hand with EVE: Valkyrie. Alexander gives his rookie opinion on an old favorite, Hearthstone, and Sarah aims to be t…

Who’s this? Alexander has returned to us?! Our fearsome foursome spends some time talking new releases with Rocket League Hoops, the Civilization 6 announcement, and Josh’s take on Uncharted 4. Sarah intrigues and confuses us with the Pocket Card Jockey demo for 3DS and Chris talks speedy RPGs with Half Minute Hero. Our GotW, Fitz Packerton, offers…

You like roguelikes, right? Because in Episode 44 you’re getting roguelikes! Josh, Sarah, and Chris dip their toes in the Dark Souls 3 pond, before diving into permadeath filled RPG mashup shenanigans in Heavy Bullets, Enter the Gungeon, and Crypt of the Necrodancer. Sarah brings up an Ikea VR experience which, while not a game per se, leads to som…

No more MiiFOMO for you. This week, we talk about Miitomo, Hyper Light Drifter, Samorost 3, Final Fantasy XV (the demo, at least), and our Free Game of the Week - The Great Palermo! Join us next episode by playing Capsule Silence XXIV, the new game from Anamanaguchi! Music: "Intro" by Slime Girls, "Vektor" by Shugo Tokumaru, and "Long Distance" by …

Happy Jackie Robinson episode! This week, we've got special guest Kasim, who works at Square Enix and has been playing both The Division and Far Cry Primal. Then we talk about Stardew Valley, which Sarah's been playing, SUPERHOT, as well as Street Fighter V and finally, The Last Night, which was our free game of the week. Then in Out of Bounds, we …

Our computers may suck (Josh's and Chris' are great though), but that doesn't mean we're not PURE GAMERS! This week: we talk Campo Santo's dramatic and thrilling FIREWATCH, the utterly terrifying Devil Daggers, Neko Atsume, Chroma Squad, and our free game of the week, Radical Rockits! Then in Out Of Bounds we cover The VVitch, Deadpool, and some an…

PVPCast hits the big 4-0, but we’ve got no time for a midlife crisis! Josh, Alexander, Chris, and Sarah cover a ton of games this week including Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, City Skylines, Mortal Kombat X, Fallout 4, To Be Or Not To Be: A Choose Your Own Hamlet Adventure, and Titan Souls. After the jump the gang discusses the free game of the week,…

It's finally here! We discuss all our favorite games of 2015, including some that weren't actually from this year. To be honest, our lists are all over the place, but hey, isn't that part of the charm? Enjoy the suspense and surprise of a PVPCast GOTY list, and then play our free game of the week for next episode: Dr. Langeskov, the Tiger, and the …

We are Homesickened this week, not because we drank too much wine (cough cough Sarah), but because that is literally the name of our free game of the week. We also played other videogames, like Magicka 2 and Panoramical and Persona 4 and the Witcher 3. As per usual, we also watched a ton of anime. For next episode, be sure to play our free game, th…

This week Josh, Chris and Sarah use the latest triple A title, Fallout 4, as grounds for discussion about the state of Metacritic and homogenous game reviews. Also, Pornhub stats. The spooky choose-your-own-adventure antics of digital Hayden Panettiere in Until Dawn lead to thoughts on endings in decision heavy games. Why not mix in a little more U…

In this 36th episode of Player Vs. Podcast, we've got a very special guest! Prolific videogame writer/influencer/wordfellow Jake Muncy joins us, and we all frolic into spoilerific discussion of Davey Wreden's "The Beginner's Guide." (Skip to 30:05 to jump over those spoilers) We also talk about the jrpg/bullet-hell/cutesy new game "Undertale", and …

Just what is going on in Metal Gear Solid 5, aside from the insane plot? Josh, Sarah, and Chris delve into the murky waters of genre in games. The original Legend of Zelda leads to musing on walkthroughs and Destiny serves as a spring board for games that just feel good. Not to be outdone by MGS5, the gang tries to wrap their heads around this week…