Sacred Symbols, Episode 237: The Thread

Hey Sacred Swaggies, Recently, I returned to Kena: Bridge of Spirits for the third time after not really enjoying my first two tries. Now, I am finding myself enjoying the characters and marveling at the art style. What's a game that took multiple tries to click for you all? Give that chicken a good spanking for me, lads.

Hidari Shotaro

Greeting CDC, Hogwarts Legacy recently welcomed Simon Pegg as Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black. With less than a month away, Has Avalanche, only started doing VO for this character or is this just their way of announcing cast members? Or is there another delay on the way? Regards, Niall

Niall G

Hey CDC, my girlfriend is currently playing Mario + rabbids sparks of hope and is enjoying the game. What are some games that are similar that she could play on switch or Xbox one? She also likes fallout 4 and GTA V. Thanks!

Tanner Lange

I have a PSVR 2 preorder that I am trying to decide if I should cancel or not. I'm worried that it will be a massive flop, and that Sony will drop support for it after a year or two. I know I should just wait and see how things go, but having a new shiny thing on launch day is hard to pass up. Do you think PSVR 2 will end up being a waste of money?

Steven Stabler

Hello Sacred Boys, What's happening to Ubisoft? They are now cancelling 3 more projects, and delaying another one... Is this the sign of a troubled publisher that will end up with an acquisition by a big player... Or do you think they will come back

DarkRod99

Hey father colin and his two problem children-- was Sean Layton ahead of his time on pushing smaller spinoff games? Last week ya'll discussed the wait between game releases, and how AAA projects are becoming outrageously expensive. It feels that we are moving into an ecosystem where the only companies that can afford to produce traditional AAA experiences are Microsoft and Sony as they make so much money from console and game sales. Fromsoft is an exception bc that company are wizards, but this week we are seeing the further collapse of Ubisoft as their games undersell after years of development, Square Enix gave their western teams away for almost nothing, Activision continues to collapse teams into Call of Duty, killing games just to produce one major game year. Miles Morales and Lost Legacy are both highly praised games on 2-year development. Imagine if Horizon Burning Shores or Ikki Island were standalone games as compared to DLC. This would help fill gaps in the year, would be full releases as compared to DLC (getting people like Colin to jump in when he is normally DLC avoidant), and would most likely lead to a boost in sales. Should the industry move back to smaller spinoff games and praise these quicker releases?

Elliott

What's up Ultimate High School Level Podcasters. I was wondering why we don't get many movie liscenced games anymore like we did in the ps2 or ps3 era. Is it simply that games are just more expensive to make these days? Or did consumers just get wiser to companies trying to shit out something for a quick buck? I just find it mind blowing that we didn't get any games for the new star wars trilogy. Thanks as always for making my favorite podcast!

Jude Brandon

With Nintendo not releasing a new console this year is it possible Nintendo are eyeing a VR system. Given the companies proclivities towards innovation, it feels like the natural move. If they do, are they going to work with or against Playstation?

Adam

Tell Rich Boy Money Bags Dustin to stand down-- starts the show "BRAGGING" about how he can buy any game any time he wants, then ends the show telling people to suck it up and buy a second controller and a docking port. The PS5 charge may not be a problem for him, but it fucking sucks. The Xbox controller can go 30-40 hours without charge, PS5 around 5-8. Saying just buy a second controller and charge port could mean someone can't buy 1-2 games. For so many people- younger, in college, working paycheck to paycheck- let's try to be a little less flippant to something that is an actual negative about the PlayStation ecosystem. Much Love Boys

Elliott

With Xbox announcing a showcase, does PS react, or do you guys think they’re already content having shown up at The Game Awards?

NeO JD

Hey Chunky Chads and 'Can I Have Extra Soy in my Latte' Dustin, Boys, am I wrong to be absolutely thrilled by Ubisoft's recently announced struggles? I know I can't speak for everyone but I feel like there's almost been a collective groan at every announcement they've made over recent years. It's nice to finally have some vindication. Can we expect a leaner, more creative Ubi going forward or do you boys believe the wrong lessons will be learned? I'd also be interested to hear if you guys believe Sony will see any warning signs? Specifically the need for a diversified portfolio and less bloated games. Thanks!

Your Boi Nicky V

Hey all! I saw this article on gamesindustry.biz https://www.gamesindustry.biz/finji-ceo-subscriptions-are-simultaneously-awesome-and-terrifying I thought it was an interesting insight on the topic of video game subscription services. Especially since it’s coming from a video game publisher.

Who Keeps Sucking All Of My Yaks Dry

Sup sacred boys What is going on with puzzles in Playstation's first party games? Whoever is designing the puzzles at Sony Santa Monica must think Eye-Spy and Where's Waldo are the height of puzzle design. Find the 3 bells, find the 3 lanterns, find the 3 dumb rotating things I throw my axe at, etc. Is this fun for any of you? I feel that PlayStation is doing a disservice to the very concept of puzzles. I love puzzle games, but I can totally understand why someone who's only played big PlayStation games would NEVER want to play a "puzzle game". It must sound horrendous. Is there any hope that one day Sony's First Party studios will either improve their puzzles or remove them from their games altogether? Thanks for reading, Colton

Otrant

Hey CDC, I need some help with resolving an issue with my wife on how to raise our children. When it is time to rinse the shampoo off your hair in the shower do you tilt your head forward while facing the shower head or tilt your head backwards while facing away from the shower head? Tilt forward is obviously the correct answer as I am pretty certain that holding your head back facing away from the shower is considered a war crime in international law as it is not different from water boarding.

Josh Bailey

What’s up brothers, May I make a suggestion for the next sacred symbols live event? I was thinking serpent mound in Ohio. We could force our way in there like any Gamer Battalion should and start excavating in honor of Graham Hancock. Tyler

HELLo, CDC Have you considered doing a poll for patron members to see how many people are still on last gen just as myself . As you know, many games are still coming to old gen like Atomic heart, Resident evil 4, ST6 , Like a Dragon 8(2024), and much more. I think it would be good to see how much more hard-core your audience compared to the general public.

joey

Sup CDC,

Hello Sacred Men, I’ve waited a month and can wait no more. Did none of you play the Forspoken demo ? The consensus has been very divided but I personally found myself somewhere in the middle but leaning toward disappointment . I found the combat and open world empty and sort of repetitive yet enjoyed the character traversal and some of the loadout ideas. What I really wanted to know was your reaction after hearing more of the dialogue from this game. Spoiler alert : it’s awful and off putting , just as many of us suspected. Were any of you planning to play the demo or are you waiting for the full game in a couple of weeks ? Thanks guys

Brer Rabbit

Hey gents, One of the features I was most excited for on PS5 was trophy tracking. I’ve waited years for PlayStation to catch up to Xbox on this, and it’s finally happened. But I was dismayed to learn recently that while Playstation wasn’t tracking my trophy progress in Multiversus, when I switch over to play on Xbox, it does. The same appears to be true in Midnight Suns as well. So my question is simple Sony…what the actual fuck? Why are third party games using the feature on Xbox but not Playstation? Thanks, Alex

Alex Watson

CDC, Colin keeps mentioning, while covering the Activision-Blizzard/Microsoft deal, that he would prefer not to talk about the news story, but states that he does not dictate what and what is not news. If each of you could fabricate one news headline that you would LOVE to discuss, what would it be? Note that this is a different question than what you are looking forward to in 2023. Instead of “Sony has a press conference” think more “Randy Pitchford eats a human leg, calls it inspiration for new magic system in Borderlands.”

Whats up CDC? This is directed at the big throbbing D, and his consternation towards the upcoming Persona 3 re-release. I don’t think its fair to insinuate P3P is inferior to P3Fes for the reasons he listed last episode. While his points are valid, the portable version made quality of life changes to the dungeon exploration system that make the gameplay less frustrating. Also the addition of the “Fem”Cee and her differing social links make the game more worth playing through a second time, and arguably more memorable than the FES version. Anyway, I hope at some point Dustin decides to give P3 a chance, especially if rumors of the full remake are true. Anyway, much love guys -Xavier

Hey CDC, Should it be mandatory to serve a meat entree at a wedding? I recently attended a wedding where the only entree choices were between vegetarian or vegan. Let’s just say I didn’t eat much at the wedding. At my own wedding we offered a choice between chicken or steak but also had a vegetarian option. If we are expected to cater to non meat eaters, shouldn’t they also be expected to cater to those who want to eat meat? There seems to be a double standard here. What say you? Colin, what are the entree plans for your wedding?

Dr. Mo

What's up, chicken fuckers. I just figured I'd throw my two cents in seeing as the topic comes up fairly regularly. DON'T try to cut down on the shows length. As a truck driver who can go though a podcasts backlog in record time, you have no idea how much I appreciate such a consistent and high quality 4 hour show coming out every week (not to even get into s.s. plus). Really makes the traffic not so bad. I love what you guys do so thanks and keep on trucking.

Top of the morning CDC, Recently I began collecting Nendoroid figures of my favourite characters from various video game series, so far I have got Kratos, Zagreus, Male Eivor (AC Valhalla) and Ezio. I plan to add Sam Porter Bridges and Geralt of Rivia to the collection this year. My question is, what is your single most prized piece of gaming merchandise/memorabilia and would it be possible you can each display the piece for us video watchers. Loving the changes to LSM for 2023, can't wait for more Constellation.

Luke Aldersley

Hi guys. With the Last of Us show finally here and confirmed to cover the entirety of the first game in season 1, how would you adapt Part II and what changes would you make? Who would you cast as Abby and Dina? My crazy prediction is that they’d cast Sophie Turner as Abby and have her prepare for the role with Kumail Nanjiani’s personal trainer.

Kaare Eriksen

Hey Guys! A Ubisoft developer has been making the rounds recently for saying that trophies/achievements have been bad for gaming, as diverts attention and takes away resources from making the game better. Do you think the addition of trophies have been good or bad as a whole and what can you think of that is worse for gaming? Original tweet: https://twitter.com/Thylander/status/1611663708656115712?t=k7v5eAO4qXmZ5Jbs4P88lA&s=19

Liro1000

Lads, I understand that this topic keeps coming up but I feel that awareness is important as the only popular site commenting on this VGC. Saudi Arabia. Is it impossible to continue to ignore their existence? They upped their stake in Nintendo, own SNK, own over 3 billion worth of stock Blizzard, EA, and Take-Two, and have stakes in Capcom. Now there are talks of them buying the entire WWE as well as the sports they are buying their way into. Why can't these companies grow some morals? Does money overpower morals? Sorry for the long winded question but this is getting ludicrous. Also if you haven't read the current Vince McMahon saga, please do. This shit is bananas.

Boys, Sorry to bring up showering but after listening to the latest KnockBack I have no choice. Colin very casually said that he often cleans the shower with bleach whilst showering! I found this highly disturbing as I can imagine how hot shower steam and bleach don’t mix well… Im sure Dustin and his dry skin will have something to say!

Gabriel SG

Hi Sacred Men Ubisoft just announced their financial results and reported on their under performance, blaming economic factors and gamers moving towards supporting bigger IP like God of War and away from smaller franchises. This seems nonsense to me when they have huge franchises at their disposal and even have a game with Mario in it with Mario Rabbids 2, which they also said fell below expectations. What do you think the real reasons are behind their under performance, to me it seems like this bad period for them has coincided with them focusing on the live service model for their games, focusing on just a few franchises and a lack of innovation between games, rather than any of the factors they cite. What say you? Cheers Kurt

Kurt Lewin

Gentlemen, instead of hearing the same games pop up at GOTY discussions, I wanted to ask you what are some hidden gems you played this year? Hope you'll get another laugh at my name ;) Daivid.

Daivid

Ladies… Having recently played through Crisis Core, FF6, FF9 and currently playing FF10, I wonder if there is something that’s lost in translation with Japanese games? I clearly love FF, but I’m keen to understand where the acute campiness comes from. Has anyone spoken with a truly bi-lingual/bi-cultural player to understand if there are concepts that are lost on westerners? Are we certain that the Japanese even share the idea of camp? Don’t forget to show that foul fowl your Honour

TheSissyOfFremont

Hello scared boys, My question is about PSVR and the future of it. How would you guys feel about Sony using their fps franchises such as SOCOM, Resistance, or Killzone and completely converting them to VR games to supply the platform with the much needed Vr exclusives in the landscape. Is VR even a priority for Sony? I hope they succeed in competing against meta. Take care guys ~Justin

Does Devolver Digital ever miss?

That Smoke from Canada

Hello CDC, Long time listener of Colin all the way back to the Beyond days and a decently new Patreon subscriber. I just wanted to say I listened to the Episode 1 of Constellation and I felt 100% attacked. I am a welder at a shipyard that builds Aircraft Carriers for a living and I also listen to all of your podcast at a speed higher than 1X. All jokes aside I love the content y'all put out every week and I can't wait for what this year has in store.

Are video game “journalists” going to do their “fans/readers/viewers” a disservice and not properly review Hogwarts Legacy? Do you think we will have to wait post-release to know about the game’s launch quality?

Joseph Losinno

Hey, QTs, HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us has had high critical praise this week, debuting with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. Alongside other interesting tidbits from the show's creators. One I parituclar element that was revealed is that they are changing the mode of transmission from spores to what they're calling "tendrils". I will reserve judgement until I see how it plays out, but my question is this... Does that not fundamentally change many key moments? Maybe they can write around it, but I'm curious to hear your takes on something I would consider somewhat a rather gravitous change. I also understand there to be another pretty significant deviation in one of the episodes, maybe toward the middle/end. Are you ok with them changing stuff? And how do you define "adaptation"? Thanks, guys, be well. xoxo <3

Nicholas

Hello Super Slutty Studs, This is a question for Colin primarily since you are have been involved with video game development with Lillymo. I am an aspiring game developer and was wondering how you and Lillymo determine what type of game you will work on next. Is anyone at the studio able to pitch game ideas or is it limited to leadership? Does Lillymo make a prototype of the idea before moving to full development?? Curious as I am starting development of my first prototype for a game and curious how to know if it’s worth moving ahead with after the prototype phase. Love all the content and stay sweet and salty my studs!

BlueMoose

Hello sacred fellows! Long time Fan. First time write in. I’ve been waiting for this post with baited breath so , I can express my absolute hatred for PlayStation support. Let me explain ! A month after using my GOW DualSense controller , it became so hot during a session that I could smell melting plastic and I was also made aware by the burning sensation on my thigh because the controller was sitting on me during a break. I quickly unplugged it but now I’m stuck with a new controller that no longer charges and getting support from Sony has been literally impossible. It seems chat support is no longer a thing for hardware repairs and the website takes you through a self service option. That would be great but I get hit with an error that states “sorry , looks like you’ve selected the wrong region”. I’ve checked all my settings etc and nothing is incorrect. The only chat support option is either for purchases or from a “PlayStation expert” which is just a troubleshooting guide sent from another player. Phone support is no better. The wait time is absurd and I often just get hung up on. The last time I needed support like this was during the PS4 era and I remember the process being so smooth. Sadly its a special edition controller or I could’ve just gotten it swapped with the retailer since it was within a 30 day window. Also , I was using the official USB cable that comes with the PS5. I love the DualSense but don’t feel compelled to purchase a new one after all this. Do any of you have recent experiences with PlayStation support ?

Alex Patsy

Hey Colin and sons, I FINALLY played a game on PS5 that has the “game hinting feature” work, and that is the Witcher 3 Remaster Patch! CD Project Red really outdid themselves with this feature more than any other game I’ve seen since release of the console 2 years ago. Is this but a hint that the studios on the road to recourse with gamers ? - Your proud listener, Joey Hornreich

Joey Hornreich

Hey guys, Do we need remakes when a remaster will do? Just played through Crisis Core and loved it. Yes they did a lot of work on it but it is still at its core the same game. I just played through Dead Space 1&2 on Steam Deck. They looked great, played great and felt great to the point I think I'm going to pass on the remake. RE2&RE3 needed remakes, FF7 needed a remake, but does RE4? Keep on keeping on.

Operator 408

Howdy Sacred Crew, My question is in regards to that just flat out weird Sony brand car, Afeela. It relates to PlayStation because it can play PS5 games, but who the hell would want to. Who is this car for? Lastly, how can we expect Sony, who’s had trouble in the past with their Vaio brand of computers and to my understanding their smartphone brand isn’t doing too well either. Just want to hear y’all’s thoughts on Sony’s new endeavor. Thank you for everything.

NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE

The sea (suite) was angry today, my friends. Like an old man at Ubisoft trying to green light anything that isn’t assassins. As gamers yelled out “I don’t wanna be a pirate” Ubisoft said but wait, we’ll get it right after the sixth delay. Shortly after announcing what feels like 16 Assassins Creed games and even tweeting some Sam Fisher goggles which was for sure a tease for a mobile, free to play, battle royale, anime dating sim or worse, an attempt to distract shareholders and gamers before a bad public announcement, Ubisoft decided to axe three unannounced games. Their stock is taking a nose dive but fear not, these are unannounced games so Assassins Creed Red, Green, Cadmium Yellow and Ultramarine are safe, and yes even Beyond Good and Evil 2 and the Prince of Persia Remake is safe. So naturally gentleman the question arises. Which 3 games so were so beyond the grace of god that even Beyond Good and Evil 2 is surviving over it? NFT stuff? Games that were actually original? Please, gives us your wisdom. And thanks for everything you do.

Rube Rupak

Good day boys, my comment/question goes directly to Colin. I would to push back on your characterization of Final Fantasy IX from last week’s show, when you referred to it and it’s characters as “not as thematically deep” and that “no one would make that argument”. Besides myself, I point you to your own MrMattyPlays and his RetroRebound review of the game. While Final Fantasy does not aim for overarching political themes like 7 does, it absolutely dives into the personal ones, which I would argue are deeper and more relevant than the grandiose political ideas of others. It is widely considered that (Armarant and Quina aside) the cast of 9 is by far the deepest and most life like and I would push that further and say characters like Vivi, Zidane and Freya show more personality and development than any Final Fantasy game aside from 6. So please, watch Matty’s review and replay the game. I know you weren’t trying to disrespect it but FFIX needs more respect than you were giving it. It is Hironobu Sakaguchi’s favorite game in the series too after all. With love, TeacherJKP

BanditHeeler

During Sacred Symbols+, you mentioned the poor fire graphics in Callisto Protocol. What game has good fire graphics? I’d love to hear your opinion. My friend and I have discussed this topic before. No game has ever done a good job of fire. Ever. Matt.

Matt Wiles

Hi fats. With Simon Pegg revealed to be voicing the headmaster in Hogwarts Legacy, the foul miasma that lingers over game has reared its ugly head once more. Do you think game journalists who end up liking the game will crumble away into self-censorship to avoid ridicule from their peers?

Joey

Hey fellas! Does anyone remember the PS5 camera? What was the point of it? The PS4 one was at least used for VR and playroom. The PS5 launched with a brand new camera , that couldn't even be used with psvr1 and from what I know, no games utilised it. Does anyone even own a ps5 camera? Keep up the hard work!

Hello Gentlemen, I am the latest of latecomers to Vita and am excited for the experience. I was curious if you have any must play game recommendations for the vita system. You guys are awesome weekly companions and have helped me through some rough times. Thanks for all you do.

Can the power of a sneeze force your eyeballs out of their sockets? The other day, while I was driving and listening to Sacred Symbols, I was violently attacked by a series of sneezes. Every time I sneeze while I drive, it scares the hell out of me because I instinctively shut my eyes. I started to wonder, why is this a reflex? Is the force of a sneeze that powerful? Do our flimsy eyelids really protect them? Time to add this story to the already huge list of people almost dying while listening to Sacred. Can you guys think of any other pointless reflexes our bodies have?Thanks boys, have a great weekend. Also, happy New Year…

Dylan Michael

Hey Gentleman, I write with a question related to goals. I, personally, have a very bad habit of starting but not finishing games. To combat this, I have committed myself to completing a minimum of 12 games this year. No more starting a game, looking at my phone during cutscenes and subsequently losing interest shortly thereafter. I want to finish what I start! I have already finished two titles with my third underway, and damn does it feel good! I am curious if you guys have set any such goals for yourself recently or if you have done so in the past and what the outcomes may have been. Cheers, and thanks for providing all the great content. Brad

Brad Felix

Hey guys, do you ever feel unheard?

Avery Illies

Hey, all. I first want to send a massive, beaming ray of positive vibes out to Hoeg. I wish him strength and perseverance.

Nikitas Gagas

Hello gents, long time listener and recent patron after i decided to cancel my netflix subscription and start paying for y’all instead. My question is as follows, if you could speak with any person affiliated with the games industry and tell them anything in person what would you say and to whom? I would go see Yuji Naka in jail and tell him that Billy Hatcher saved my life. Best wishes from Louisiana.

FuturePS3Owner

Hello all, Colin in the last episode you mentioned your dream announcement would be a Final Fantasy 6 remake, if I'm being honest that would be something that would excite me more than anything as FF6 is my favorite game in th series. My initial thought would be a Octopath Traveler type remake but with how modern pixel art games like Chained Echoes or Sea of Stars are looking how awesome would it be to see places like Narshe or the end of the world look like that. Then what I was thinking was what if they go a Final Fantasy 7 remake route and change the entire game. I'm not sure what that would look like, but I think that would be awesome they'd give my favorite game the love and recognition it deserves. I can tell you I would never want one of those chibi style games like they did with 3 and 4 that would be awful. Your comment got me pretty excited on what Squenix is talking about so my mind has been racing ever since. Thanks for all you do. RJ Davis "The better one".

Hey Colin et al., Perhaps you already are going to do this, but thought it was worth commenting anyway. Can we get a mention of Hoeg's GoFundMe? https://www.gofundme.com/f/reasonable-minds-can-rebuild Thanks, Yoh Zoey.

Yoh Zoey Ceeza

Hello Wild Chris, Jagwire Dustin, and Discord in the browser Colin, On last week's episode, there was some discussion about regional accents and mannerisms. This provoked me to write in and ask something to Colin which in my 11+ years of following Colin's career, I have never heard addressed: Why do you only say one "TH" sound? Most people say two unique "TH" sounds – The "soft" TH sound, as in "they" or "theirs", and the "hard" TH sound as in "thirsty" or "therapy" – but as far as I can tell, Colin exclusively uses the former. As a lifelong midwesterner, I have never heard another person speak like this. Is it a linguistic trait of Long Island natives? Are there others like you or are you the only one? Please know that I do not ask this with the intention of mocking you, Colin. My motives are purely scientific. Keep up the good work boys, Luke

Good day, fine sirs! Why are people in the U.S. so bad at geography? I understand if someone cannot point out where Togo is or Belarus or Laos, but people are even bad at more local geography. My wife and I travel frequently for work, but we call Northwest Arkansas home. Recently in St. Louis, Missouri, someone who has lived their whole life in Missouri said they didn’t know where Arkansas was. I’ve also been in Florida where someone asked me if Arkansas was by California. I had someone in L.A. tell me that he wanted to live somewhere else warm like “Michigan”. The list goes on and on. Thank you for letting me rant. Have you guys had similar experiences? Keep up the good work!

David Wilson II

Hello neighbors! LONG time, first time. Seinfeld question incoming. Sorry if this has been asked before. What was the golden age on Seinfeld? Which are your favorite seasons or episodes? Just started with my girlfriend and we are almost at the end. Truly a great show! Can't wait for more of Constellation. The best podcast on the internet about nothing. Thanks! Formidable Fungus

FormidableFungus