On this episode we take a look at some action adventure games, mostly from the 00s, and tie them together with the nebulous notion that each of them clearly takes inspiration from The Legend of Zelda franchise. We chat about games that have you take on the roles of a wolf goddess, an intrepid photographer, and a flammable mummy, as we also get a bi…

On this episode we tackle quite a broad subject, the first-person-shooter genre. We talk about our favourite single-player gun fests, as well as our online experiences, dipping into the likes of Wolfenstein, Doom, Call of Duty, and Half Life along the way. We very nearly forget all about Halo, but then totally remember it, because we are master pod…

The age old question. On this episode we chart the histories of Nintendo's home consoles, reflecting on their impacts on the medium, talking about our favourite games, and trying to make sense of some truly bizarre controller designs. Then we attempt to rank them, and decide, in a highly official capacity, which Nintendo console is best.…

On this episode we take a break from being painfully nostalgic, and deign to look forward instead. E3 may be dead, but that hasn't stopped the major gaming companies from using the Summer to reveal a slew of upcoming games. We discuss the ones that have us excited, from shiny new IPs to dependable old franchises…

On this episode we discuss one of the most lauded indie games of the last few years, the cute but deceptively harsh Tunic. We talk about its many inspirations, from Zelda to Dark Souls, but how it very much feels like its own unique thing. We also gush about its killer central mechanic, and get nostalgic about the bygone days of the video game book…

On this episode we recommend and chat about some amazing and unique indie games that we have played recently. Our discussions range from a recent indie darling that was produced by a Youtuber, to a game that is self-described as "hostile", to a loving homage to ps1 era survival horror, and not one but TWO games about fishing.…

This week we take a look at what is arguably 2024's biggest gaming success story, the anarchic co-op third-person-shooter, Helldivers 2. We discuss why its madcap multiplayer works so well, while also covering its filmic inspirations and recent controversies.By heylooklistenthepodcast

We take a brave step out of our video game comfort zone for this episode, as we discuss the global nerdy sensation, Dungeons and Dragons. We delve into its history, rising from the heady years of the 1970s, looking at it as both a business, and as a favourite pastime for legions of fans and content creators alike.…

On this episode we dwell on that most violent of video game protagonists, Kratos, as we discuss the latest two games in his much storied franchise. We discuss these games' positions as both sequels and reboots, and their intimate character work and stellar combat, while also wondering if maybe they went too far in certain places.…

On this episode we take a look at the two modern classics in the The Legend of Zelda franchise, discussing their boundless creativity and making comparisons to other open world games, while also being a tad wistful for the Zelda games of yesteryears.By heylooklistenthepodcast

This episode takes a look at 16th entry in the beloved Final Fantasy series, a game that ended up being quite divisive due to the big swings it takes against the established formula of the franchise. Topics bounce between exhilarating kaiju battles, to milquetoast side quests. From amazing voice acting and localisation, to a story that tends to spi…

This week Kev shines a light on some "hidden gems" from 2023, and takes a look at some of the best games that you may have missed from last year. The games covered range from first-person horror games and weird visual novels to cute climate-themed climbing capers. Check it out to see what you might have missed. Or maybe you've played them all alrea…

Transport back to the days of waggling remotes, as we take a look at Nintendo's colossal console success story, the Wii. We get nostalgic about playing Wii Sports on Christmas morning, soaring through the cosmos in Super Mario Galaxy, and much more. But we also question the Wii's legacy, and we wonder, despite its success, did it actually change th…

This week for the pod we welcome a very special quest, Stephanie! Steph has been an avid gamer since she was young, and today we chat about her early exposure to games via educational games, Animal Crossing, and, of course, the Mass Effect universe. We had a few issues with sound on this one, so apologies!…

On this episode we take a look back at gaming during 2023, starting with January and rattling through the months in the classic manner, not only discussing some of the notable releases, but also the news stories that defined the year for gaming.By heylooklistenthepodcast

On this episode we're taking a look at the big bads of the video game world. We discuss some of our favourite villains, as well as the numerous ways gaming can utilize a good villain. We also take time to chat about our least favourites too, because full positivity wouldn't suit an episode that's all about deplorable bastards.…

All four of us gather for this episode, as we discuss the nominations for the upcoming Game Awards 2023. This year has been chock full of amazing games, so we use these nominations as an excuse to discuss six of the best: Baldur's Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4, and Super Mario Wonder.…

In a world ravaged by horrible monsters, four survivors must brave a hazardous and slimy trek through a dark and ominous sewer, armed only with their waning courage and devices known as 'salt guns'. Didn't quite get it out in time for Halloween, but this special episode of the pod is something a bit different, a spoooky short story, written and nar…

Spider Men, Bat Men, Super Men... we cover them all on this episode as we chat about a variety of games from over the years that are based on iconic superhero IPs. Our discussion leads us from lovingly crafted modern interpretations of classic characters, to 90s arcade cabinets, to infamous video game disasters. And thank you for supporting Hey! Lo…

Happy Halloween! The Hey! Look! Listen! team are busy enjoying the seasonal fun, like pumpkin spice and low-level crimes, so for this week please accept a supercut of some of our previous content. Over the last couple of years of doing the pod, Liam and Kev have managed to cover all main eight entries in the Resident Evil franchise, as well as thei…

On this episode we discuss some of our favourite and least favourite openings from games, be it the opening hours in general, just an opening cutscene, or both elegant and inelegant tutorials. We talk about how important first impressions can be, and how some great game are lumbered with some truly awful opening segments, mostly inspired by a recen…

On this episode Jon takes a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of Starfield-developers, Bethesda, from the freedom of Skyrim, to the disaster that is Fallout 76.By heylooklistenthepodcast

On this episode a friend of the podcast joins us for a very chill chat about all things video games. Topics range from our very humble platforms as video game content slingers, to the Commodore 64, to our deep down feelings on Bethesda.By heylooklistenthepodcast

On this episode we dig into Nintendo's much celebrated sci-fi franchise, Metroid. We bounce around each of the series' main games, mostly gushing, but also realizing that no single Metroid game is perfect. We talk about the iconic protagonist at the franchise's centre too, and the odd mistranslation that led to her appeal.…

It's our 64th episode, so we get shockingly creative by getting nostalgic for the seminal Nintendo 64. We come to terms with our advanced ages, as we reflect on our favourite 64-bit memories, with topics ranging from amazing multiplayer experiences, to peculiar controller-design, to warm and fuzzy Christmas memories.…

On this episode we select a number of games which we believe to have perfect endings. Our choices range from perfectly executed narrative wrap-ups, to fourth wall breaking tomfoolery, to plain old childhood nostalgia. So spoiler warning for everything we talk about, but honestly, everything we discuss is relatively old at this point.…

We're talking about main characters on this episode, namely the ones we really love and the ones we really hate. In discussing our favourite gaming protagonists, we talk about strong writing and relatability, as well as a character's design being married to gameplay. In discussing our least favourite gaming protagonists, we just sort of get a bit c…

On this episode we tackle the nebulous topic of the depiction of food & drink in video games, starting off with food's classic roles as chunky pixelated health pickups. As the episode goes on, however, we are interested to discover that we nearly entirely forget to talk about games that are overtly about food or cooking, as our ideas of the best de…

On this episode we set out to have a discussion on the current subscription services that have come to define modern gaming for many, such as XBox Game Pass and Playstation Plus Premium, and the conversation dovetailed off in several directions. We hit topics such as brand loyalty, toxic fanbases, and the slew of recent broken game releases, as we …

We dip back into the Resident Evil well to chat about the lauded Resident Evil 4, mainly because it received a phenomenal remake this year, which we also chat about obviously. We compare the two games, discussing our favourite moments, from the things they changed from the things that remained wonderfully untouched. There are some ropey impressions…

On this episode we bounce from old first-person-shooters to Japanese visual novels as we talk about some games that are genuinely close to our hearts, but in which we cannot deny their ropier, more awkward elements.By heylooklistenthepodcast

We get painfully nostalgic for Nintendo's first handheld device on this episode, as we share our fondest memories of the old grey brick, as well as the "Colors", "Pockets", and "Advances" it spawned. We discuss the franchises that defined the console for us, such as Pokemon, Tetris, Wario Land, and, uh, James Bond.…

On this episode we take a look at both of Rockstar Games' Western-themed epics, as we try to reconcile the quite sizable problems we have with both games with our love of their masterful storytelling and overall rootin' tootin' cowboy aesthetic. We also have find time to bellyache about the depiction of the Irish in these games, because obviously.…

All four of us gather for an episode in which we once again ask each other interview-like questions about the world of gaming. This time the questions have us discussing video game remakes, as well as what TV adaptations we would like to see in the wake of HBO's The Last of Us. We talk about the habits we have developed towards gaming as a hobby, b…

This episode of Hey! Look! Listen! is all about everyone's favourite merchandisable plumber, Mario. Ignoring his penchant for karting and partying, this episode instead ranks each and every one of the traditional Mario platformers, which means it covers the length and breadth of both the history of Nintendo and the history of gaming as a whole.…

On this episode we turn our back on video games to instead focus on video game adjacent media, as we discuss HBO's recent television adaptation of The Last Of Us, starring Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, and a bunch of funky fungi.By heylooklistenthepodcast

We play it a bit loose in this episode as we each bring two questions for each other in a general conversation about videogames. This leads to us chatting about topics that include childhood memories and divisive games, and whether or not romance exists in gaming, because we're all incurable romantics. We also ripoff Desert Island Disks wholesale.…

Positive outlooks are denied in this episode with a decidedly negative analysis of Far Cry 5, as its failures are held up to the standards of its own superior predecessors, as well as just to the concept of good quality game design. And exciting times, this marks the first episode of Hey! Look! Listen! to be posted on YouTube too, with some fancy-s…

For our milestone 50th episode (kinda) we return to the franchise that we began this podcast with, as we discuss the colossal fourth entry in Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid series. We discuss the game's position as an all-guns-blazing ending to a massive story, and how we both kind of love it and hate it for that.…

In this episode we reflect on the notion of putting faith in our fellow man, as we discuss some of our favourite co-op games, multiplayer games that have you team up rather than fight each other like god intended. Our cooperative experiences include: playing The Beautiful Game TM, exploring mysterious snowy ruins, having meltdowns in the kitchen, a…

Before setting off proper into a brand new year, why not take time to reflect on the games of 2022? On this episode we each select games that we loved from last year, with our choices ranging from Norse epics to feline escapades, from intimate murder mysteries to gigantic fantasy adventures...By heylooklistenthepodcast

On this episode we discuss games that we went into with preconceived expectations, which turned out to be very different experiences than we imagined. We go both positive and negative: games that we didn't think we'd like that ended up blowing our minds, as well as games we expected to love that we just couldn't mind meld with.…

On this episode four of your hosts each choose a single moment from the litany of games that they have played throughout their lives, to shine a spotlight on and wax lyrical about. There was no rigid criteria given to the moments that could be chosen; they could have ranged from moments experienced through gameplay, to big action set pieces, to mem…

A bit of introspection in this episode, as three of your hosts each choose a game that they once loved, but have found that their affection has diminished over time. We reckon with the changes in how games are made against the changes in our own personal tastes, as we march inexorably towards the grave.…

We once again dip our toes in the world of survival horror by taking a look at the latest two chapters in the Resident Evil series. The seventh entry managed to be both a radical upheaval and a return to the franchise's roots, and was then followed by a game that was a whole other kettle of fish again. We compare the two distinct flavours of these …

On this episode, a returning host to the podcast does a deep dive on the latest bit of gaming tech: Valve's handheld devise, the Steam Deck. He analyses it as a modern piece of hardware, and compares it to other consoles on the market. But mostly he just waxes lyrical about the joys of having your entire Steam library in the palm of your hands.…

Happy Halloween! In honour of the spooky season, we present Ireland's most terrifying tale: The Limerick Shanker! Steel your courage, make sure you're not wearing your favourite pants, and strap into this 30 minute audiobook horror extravaganza! *Notice: This is something completely different, just for Halloween, and has exactly 0% to do with video…

Tis the season for existential dread and body horror, so it's time to take a look at the amazing and horrifying Silent Hill series. We handpick key titles from this iconic franchise; from the PS1 classic that started it all, to its narratively ambitious and emotionally draining PS2 sequel. From experimental remakes, to even more experimental "playa…

Forget all the other episodes. This is the one. After foolishly ignoring him for so very long, we finally get around to the mighty Crash Bandicoot, in a discussion that mostly centres around the orange ragamuffin's PS1 classics. The conversation also spills out into the very idea of "mascot platformers" and Crash's indelible position as one of the …

On this episode we hand-select a few prominent examples of the "Walking Sim" genre, and discuss how although the name of this genre was originally meant as a bit of an insult, it has long become one of the best methods for games to tell smaller scale, more intimate stories. So, yes, while our selected games may mostly consist of just kind of potter…