Remap Radio

A trip to PAX East means we’re not that far from Rob’s extremely normal house! Patrick and Chia hopped in a car to inspect the fabled grounds for themselves, before they piled into Rob’s office to chat about spotting Charlie Kirk t-shirts at on the show floor, a bunch of neat games Chia and Patrick played, and a long recounting of an excellent recent game of John Company.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

They dissect major industry shakeups like mass layoffs and studios filing for bankruptcy. They dig into controversies around AI-generated art and controversial graphics tech changes. The conversation shifts to game impressions, personal moves, and obsession-worthy playtime stories. They close with debates about where AI helps or harms creative workflows.

Max “Hella” Caulfield may have the ability to manipulate time and space, but despite her superpowers, it’s more than likely that this week’s release of Life Is Strange: Reunion signals the end of Life Is Strange. Patrick recently had a chance to chat with actor Hannah Tell, who’s played Max since the very beginning, about what it means to bring this story to a conclusion. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome back to Worth Reading, where Patrick chats with people doing interesting writing, reporting, and criticism in the world of video games. This week, Patrick’s talking with longtime video game reporter Keza MacDonald, who is currently the games editor at The Guardian and, despite being a parent to several children, also the author of a new book about Nintendo. Is Nintendo a technology company? Why is “play” so important to the company’s longevity?Make sure to check out Keza’s book, Super Nintendo: The Game-Changing Company That Unlocked the Power of Play, which is available wherever books are sold https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/753986/super-nintendo-by-keza-macdonald/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

They tear into the DLSS 5 reveal and the internet’s furious reaction to AI-driven visual changes. They unpack Ubisoft closing Red Storm and reminisce about early Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon. Conversation jumps to Crimson Desert’s sprawling ambitions, Slay the Spire 2’s new multiplayer quirks, and MiniShoot Adventures as a surprise standout. Legal drama around Subnautica 2 and Pragmata impressions round out the talk.

Rob sits down with Duncan Fyfe to discuss his piece on the lore and world building of Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind and the tension that can form between developers and fans when there's competing visions on what a game's narrative and lore focus "should" be. They also discuss the shift in Bethesda's games to start including more and more incentives to keep players in the game that exist outside of their authored narratives, the way the specter generative AI looms over this shift to expansiveness, and what it could mean for the future of Bethesda.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dia Lacina, games critic and writer (Waypoint, Paste), joins to break down Project Helix and Microsoft's cross‑device strategy. They dive into Fortnite V‑Bucks price hikes and the New York suit against Valve. Dia also reads and discusses her Star Trek: Voyager — Across the Unknown review, plus quick takes on several recent games.

Jack Ryan, an investigative reporter focused on climate, biotech, health, and games, digs into how casinos, crypto, and AI are infiltrating gaming sites. He traces opaque ownership, affiliate schemes that embed gambling links, SEO-driven churn, offshore loopholes, and the moral and economic pressures forcing writers to work with exploitative operators.

They dig into why live service games like Highguard launch hot then die and how publishers bankroll repeat bets. They unpack the VideoGamer AI review scandal and industry fallout for journalism and ethics. They share first impressions of Marathon’s extraction gameplay and Bungie lineage. They split on Resident Evil 9’s strong survival-horror opening versus a weaker action back half, and chat about cozy Pokémon Pokopia playtests.

Klas Eriksson, co-game director and writer who shaped Planet of Lana’s wordless storytelling. Adam Stjärnljus, creative director with a film and concept art background who led the game’s visual direction. They recount a decades-long friendship turned game-making journey. They discuss silent storytelling, cinematic versus puzzle platformer design, expanded player mechanics, and lessons from indie production.