Jessica is sorry, but also not sorry for the Fortnite joke. She promises it won't happen again. This week, we discuss the band Disturbed, as well as our ventures into the Anthem Beta, and Apex Legends. Recommended article: Red Dead Redemption 2 can be a struggle for players with poor eyesight by Stephen Wilds: https://www.polygon.com/2019/2/6/18197…

The return of PauseCast, a now bi-weekly dose of video game criticism from a queer perspective! Mark dives into the past with Star Wars Episode I - Racer and explores it's legacy in REDOUT, while Jessica dives into Undertale, and the ultraviolence of Resident Evil 7. Things of note: The origins of the Red Dead Redemption + Barbie Horse Adventures c…

You know we had to talk about 'em. Things we talked about: Hitman is coming to the Hawke’s Bay: https://www.polygon.com/2018/10/23/18014642/hitman-2-locations-mumbai-new-zealand-colombia-miami Steam developers speak: Maximum profits for Valve, minimum responsibilities: https://www.polygon.com/2018/10/19/17959138/steam-valve-developer-support-pricin…

Late record, we know. But we got real about dealing with competitive nature in games, plus Mark talks about the new Tactical Legacy expansion for XCOM 2 and what's next for Battletech and Jessica deals with implicit grey morality in Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Things we talked about: Battletech is getting a third expansion, "Urban Warfare"; "Flashpoint…

Extra long, only a little weird, and the first episode of PauseCast to require a two day recording process! We talk about Project CARS and assumed audience, Assassin's Creed Origins and the idea of "it just works", and more! Things we talked about: The TimeSpinner AMA on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/PS4/comments/9jema3/official_ama_for_timespin…

Do you remember Shrek: Super Slam? Did you know Shrek is 17 years old now? Thanks for listening to our podcast. Articles we talked about: Spider-Man's Take On Police Feels Out Of Touch: https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/09/spider-mans-take-on-police-feels-out-of-touch/ 7 video games for people who don't like guns: https://mashable.com/article/gun-free…

Mark talks about the variety, customization, and telling your own stories in XCOM and Battletech, and Far Cry 5 pushes Jessica too far. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their support of the show! Find out more about becomin…

Strap in, folks. Jessica's mad online about Far Cry 5. We also talk tactics with the best of XCOM and Battletech, Dead Cells 1.0, and choice paralysis in Fallout New Vegas. Things we talked about: Austin Walker describing playing Dead Cells as "the act of finding a build": https://twitter.com/austin_walker/status/1031662530157002753 Battletech's "F…

We discuss who Sub-Zero is, being mad because bad, why Shantae's art is a turn off, Battletech as a substitute for miniatures, and what Jessica's impressions of the Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII beta are. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to ou…

PauseCast returns from hiatus to our most watched live episode yet, where we talk about going back to Fallout 4, learning to love Fallout New Vegas, and what makes Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom so damn special. What we talked about: SonicFox: "im gay also the best dbfz player on the fucking planet don't forget it" - https://twitter.com/SonicFox50…

Mark and Jessica discuss Overwatch's latest hero, the start of Jessica's 11th competitive season, and Mark's latest ventures into the world of Diablo. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their support of the show! Find out mor…

Mark and Jessica talk about what makes God of War's Leviathan Axe so good, go on wild tangents, and check in on their best friend, Video James. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their support of the show! Find out more about…

The biggest of video games shows has come and gone, and we're gonna talk about it. We wrap up E3, and talk about 2019's hot new lineup, and how gay we're going to be in Assassin's Creed. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for the…

Mark and Jessica are joined by Yardgnome (@yardgnome736), and talk about Jessica's experience with The Crew 2's Closed Beta, Mark diving into Assassin's Creed IV again, and wacky physics based battle royale Totally Accurate Battlegrounds. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's m…

Mark and Jessica dive into all of the unplugged holes spilling out tasty, tasty information as we talk about this years bevy of E3 leaks, and speculate about the future of Fallout 76. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their …

Mark dives into the Norse Mythos in God of War, and Jessica talks about the Career Mode in Project CARS and the experience of trying to get better at PUBG. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their support of the show! Find ou…

Jessica and Mark are recording in the same room! We talk Yakuza and Persona, Battletech, and more. The Battletech aftershow is available on demand until May 24th, 2018 at this link: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/259749086 Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud…

We talk Frostpunk, Battletech, and drift towards simulation in Forza Horizon 3! Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their support of the show! Find out more about becoming a Patron by clicking here. Send emails to the inbox at…

We bring E3 to the next level with our predictions, plus we talk about what sequels can leave behind from their originals and talk EXTENSIVELY about Battletech! Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their support of the show! Fi…

Both of us are exhausted this week, so it's a bit of a shorter episode. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their support of the show! Find out more about becoming a Patron by clicking here. Send emails to the inbox at pauseca…

Jessica has played Far Cry 5 and has some thoughts! We talk about what makes Far Cry 2 great, Mark shares his continuing exploits in Into the Breach. We also talk about the ongoing situation with MidBoss and what it means for the queer gaming community. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and che…

We establish a new promise to deliver to you, the listeners of the podcast! Plus we talk Diablo, Deviljho in Monster Hunter World, Fortnite, and more! Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their support of the show! Find out mor…

Jessica and Mark delve into what makes Diablo III different from other ARPGs, and Jessica unearths a secret contract that all game developers must sign. We talked about: Pathway: https://blog.chucklefish.org/introducing-pathway-by-robotality/ WitchBrook: https://www.pcgamer.com/chucklefishs-mysterious-magic-school-rpg-officially-named-witchbrook/ T…

Mark time travels and keeps landing himself Into the Breach, and Jessica and Mark talk about damage in Diablo, gear in Assassin's Creed Origins, and more. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their support of the show! Find out…

Jessica digs into a particularly brutal level in Hitman and discusses the use of scale in games, and Mark delves Into the Breach and finds a deep and interesting new take on tactics games. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for t…

This week, Jessica dives into Majora's Mask 3D and we talk about dual screen ports, Mark's continued monster hunting (and the feel of hunting with new folks), and we talk about what role devs have in their portrayal of real peoples. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music o…

Jessica and Mark talk more about Monster Hunter World as Mark cools down on the game, and Jessica talks about developing game sense! Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their support of the show! Find out more about becoming a…

With Monster Hunter: World now playable, Mark dives deep into the latest entry in Capcom's long-running series, and Jessica talks about eSports, regular sports, and tries poorly to explain how Street Fighter V's new match intro animations look. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Le…

Mark's got monsters on the mind as Monster Hunter: World approaches. Jessica delves into Diablo, and they both answer a record amount of questions from listeners. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their support of the show! …

Jessica, Ashe, and Mark are all together for our game of the year discussions in a very NICE episode! It's only a month late, don't worry about it! Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to our Patrons for their support of the show! Find out more a…

Jessica and Mark join up for a shorter episode and talk about our piles of shame, how we keep our games sorted, and big RPG end-games in Torchlight II and Destiny 2. Things we discussed: Jessica's thread on The Evil Within: https://twitter.com/cockatielcutie/status/947724376308199424 The Evil Within 2's Title Card: https://twitter.com/cockatielcuti…

No episode this week! Just wanted to wish you all a happy holidays.By Jessica Alouette & Mark Hanna

Jessica prepares for war, in all it's glory and horror as she explores Starcraft II and Star Wars: Battlefront II, while Mark dives deep on Monster Hunter World. Things we discussed: The Best Games in 2017 that You Probably Haven't Played Yet: https://thespinoff.co.nz/games/20-12-2017/the-best-games-in-2017-that-you-probably-havent-played-yet/ Than…

Mark and Jessica talk about some of their fave games of the year, while Mark also digs back into Seiken Densetsu 3! Things we discussed: Iconoclasts: http://store.steampowered.com/app/393520/Iconoclasts/ Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Soundcloud. Thank you to ou…

Jessica dives deep into Forza Horizon 3, Mark plays a bit more Dead Cells, and we talk about the best games we played this year that you shouldn't miss. Things we discussed: The electric cheese wedge of a car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXzcIoq2ing Jessica's article about Hitman (2016): https://thespinoff.co.nz/games/25-11-2017/why-now-is-the-…

Jessica dives into how The Evil Within messes with reality, and she speeds across Australia in Forza while Mark finishes up Dying Light: The Following and explores the gorgeous Dead Cells. Articles we Discussed: Jessica's photos from Forza Horizon 3: https://twitter.com/cockatielcutie/status/933247312473632768 Thank you to Leon for the use of our t…

We're joined once again by Ashe as we discuss Resident Evil 7, why Jessica is back on her bullshit with Animal Crossing, and why Mark is falling off Shadow of War. Plus, we discuss Monster Hunter world and think a little about the good games of the year. Articles we Discussed: The flag of Kakapo, Jessica's town in Animal Crossing: https://twitter.c…

Ashe returns to talk with us about Egyptian assassins, Jessica embeds hatchets into the skulls of Nazis, and Mark drives a buggy through a horde of zombies. Plus, we talk about Animal Crossing: Pocket Camper, and what makes Mario unappealing? Weird things are happening this week. Articles we Discussed: Reflection, Introspection, and a Night in the …

Twas the night before Wolfenstein and all through the house, not a Nazi was stirring, they all lay bleeding out. Jessica beats Wolfenstein: The Old Blood and we talk about turn timers being used to drive more interesting gameplay. Articles we Discussed: Game Maker's Toolkit: How Designers Protect Players From Themselves: https://www.youtube.com/wat…

This week, Jessica and Mark talk about queerness and Persona 4, cruelty in Shadow of War, and how to summon cats on demand. Articles we Discussed: Denial of the Self: Queer Characters in Persona 4: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/denial-of-the-self-queer-characters-in-persona-4/1100-6404712/ Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey …

We are all Shadow of War now. This week's discussion focuses a LOT on Middle-earth: Shadow of War, as we dig into the loot box controversy and a land of procedurally generated orcs. Plus, Jessica continues the streak of finished games! Articles we Discussed: I Spent Years Not Caring About a 'Blade Runner' Sequel, Now I'm a Mess: https://waypoint.vi…

Mark brings Starfinder to the table, Jessica miraculously manages to finish not one but two games, and both talk about... just liking things. Articles we Discussed: Catch him, Derry!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l5Y-FVYXCc Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Download it for free and check out Leon's music on Sou…

It is our Destiny to talk to Ashe Yee this week! We talk about Destiny 2 and it's new gun perk system and how Borderlands could be made even more compelling. It's a bit of a slower one this week, folks. We're very tired. Articles we Discussed: 'Lawbreakers' Was a Throwback to an Era that Might Never Have Existed: https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/art…

Mark and Jessica talk good protagonists and antagonists, bad boss fights, plus Mark returns to Space Pirates and Zombies and Jessica delves into Dishonored! Links we talked about: Monster Hunter World releasing on January 26th: http://www.usgamer.net/articles/19-09-2017-monster-hunter-world-release-date-gameplay-trailer-platforms-co-op-everything-w…

Jessica and Mark talk about Blizzard and Overwatch's mishandling of community toxicity, and how Dying Light intelligently handles drop-in drop-out co-op, Destiny 2 lore, and much more! Articles we discussed: Austin Walker's twitter thread about PewDiePie's use of the n-word on a stream: https://twitter.com/austin_walker/status/906974377916465152 Pa…

Jessica sinks into Destiny 2 and Mark continues a war against the chosen, plus we talk about the future of narrative in video games, emergent storytelling systems, and goofy stuff we found in zombie games. Articles we discussed: Clickers and other Easter Eggs in Dying Light: https://www.primagames.com/games/dying-light/tips/dying-light-easter-eggs-…

Jessica takes a back seat as Mark reveals his martial arts secrets and gushes about XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, and both discuss cultural appropriation in Absolver, Magic: The Gathering, and beyond. Plus, a breakdown on what makes PUBG interesting. Articles we discussed: Context Is Key: On Inspiration, Attribution, and Cultural Appropriation in Desi…

Mark and Jessica strap knives to other knives while playing Dying Light, go deeper into Dungeons and Dragons, and talk about what's changing in Monster Hunter World! Links we talked about: 12 Minutes of Monster Hunter World hands-on: https://www.polygon.com/videos/2017/8/22/16182386/monster-hunter-world-gameplay-video-preview-hands-on Thank you to …

Jessica and Mark are joined by Ashe, who returns to talk about tactical tension in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and difficulties with Overwatch. Links we talked about: Māori Mod for Civilization VI: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1109800600 Gamer Finally Prepared To Remember Who Sean Murray Is, Then Forgive Him: http://www.p…

In a shocking twist and turn in events, Mark both isn't reading a book, and is playing more than one game! Jessica continues to play a handful of games, and Mark finds himself with Conviction of the Splinter Cell variety. Thank you to Leon for the use of our theme song, Honey Milk Island. Find Leon's music and download it at http://soundcloud.com/l…