We played a slew of games this week like Tempest Rising, Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3, Bionic Bay, and more Blue Prince and Battle Aces, plus: the Switch 2 preorder plan of attack, Ghost of Yotei gets a date, Michael Bay's OutRun is going to be the biggest movie of the world, the high-risk world of NFL draft betting, and more. Advertise on The…

It's time to kick off our month of documentaries, and leading us off is one of Alex's favorite slice of life stories in cinema, American Movie! Join us as we talk through Mark and his motley film crew's attempt at making the next great American horror short film, and then review the aforementioned short film as well. That's right, a double feature …

With the information they need secured, the adventurers sent by the Hundred Burroughs begin to gather together and make their final survey of Perpetua’s western continent before returning east. But some of the most dangerous creatures (and people) are yet to be discovered. This week on Friends at the Table: Perpetua Prelude 06 PERPETUA PRELUDE - GU…

This week, Blue Prince has snared a couple of us (sort of), another couple of us can't seem to stop playing AC Shadows, and... Gradius III makes a surprise appearance? In the news, the BDS Xbox boycott, the Marathon reveal, Oblivion Remastered media leaks, the PS5 is getting more expensive. Plus a New Zealand slang primer, whipping out your 3DS at …

With new knowledge about the state—and future—of their world, the group of travelers take up their exploration again. Some learn first hand about this continent’s fauna—majestic, mighty, and mystifying. One finds more evidence of the Valte Empire’s violent search for their own answers. And some, in search of peace and quiet, finds himself facing ev…

While we're out this week, we bring you another blast from the Never Been a Better past, all the way back in December 2022, when Abby Russell and Jeff Bakalar joined us to share tales of holiday mishaps, immortal pets, and much more! Advertise on The Nextlander Podcast at Audioboom, or support us on Patreon! CHAPTERS (00:01:10) Intro (00:02:24) The…

It happened: They took the wraps off the Switch 2 (for real this time). Will Smith joins us to break down the price, hardware specs and features, backwards compatibility, and launch-ish games like Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and the most important launch title of all: the Switch 2 Welcome Tour. Advertise on The Nextlander Podcast at Audi…

With supplies in their packs and an increasingly detailed map, the explorers travel further through Perpetua’s western continent. While some learn more about local nature and culture, others stumble towards larger truths. A star descending from the heavens. A fleet across the blue. The striking of a clock… the ringing of a bell… This week on Friend…

We round out our month of weird dystopian cities with the darkest dystopian city of them all: the one literally called Dark City. Join us as we try to find the way to Shell Beach, and along the way finally answer the question of what makes a man: his memory, or his power level. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 130: Dark City …

We've got one week left before the big Switch 2 reveal, so hop in the ding-dong hole for one last round of rumors and speculation, plus plenty of other chatter about Atomfall, more AC: Shadows and 33 Immortals, Revenge of the Savage Planet, Josef Fares' Willy Wonka moment, a good week for games media, the landmark release of Big Rigs on Steam, and …

After making emergency landings all across Perpetua’s western continent, Glesi, Yukai, Harlow, Tomor, and Arley have begun to find their footing—if not each other. Now, they leave where they landed, and begin to make their way across this mysterious land in search of answers to the question that brought them here to begin with: What is the Altar of…

Ahhh, the French cinema! It's known for its excellence, and on this week's Watchcast that proves undeniably true as we check out Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro's science fantasy classic, The City of Lost Children. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 129: The City of Lost Children (1995) (00:00:39) - Intro. (00:02:44) - We head…

Minds driven by curiosity and hearts filled with hope, the expedition group sets off across the sea that separates their homeland from the rest of the world. From the perspective offered by their airship, they get a taste of what is to come: Palaces and plazas! Mountains and rivers! Strange, draconic towers! A land of life and lore, filled with kno…

We talk for like an hour about Assassin's Creed Shadows this week, plus 33 Immortals, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (big week for 33 around here), Keita Takahashi's To a T, a $500 Switch 2, Xbox's gaming Copilot AI, the strange possibilities of an Oblivion remake, a little about GDC, and more. Here's the essay about Oblivion's Radiant AI we talked ab…

It's time to take a trip back in time to the crime-scorched hellscape of NYC circa 1979 in Walter Hill's The Warriors! Join us as we bop from the Bronx to Coney Island, taking on the many gangs of clowns and theater kids that run these New York City streets. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 128: The Warriors (1979) (00:00:55)…

A CLOCK STRIKES. A BELL RINGS. Welcome to Perpetua: Prelude, a short, six episode prologue to Perpetua, our next full season of Friends at the Table. For Perpetua proper, we’ll be playing Fabula Ultima, following two groups of unlikely heroes as they investigate ancient mysteries, confront rivals and villains, and grow together as friends and allie…

There might be an Xbox handheld launching this year (?!), plus the actual next Xbox in 2027, and we get together to talk all about that, along with the fairly unhinged new Death Stranding 2 trailer, WWE 2K25, Deliver at All Costs, returning to PUBG in 2025, top-tier comedy sketches, lighting your sardines on fire, and a bunch of other stuff. Advert…

Hello all! This is a short announcement to make sure everyone is aware THE NEXT SEASON OF FRIENDS AT THE TABLE IS STARTING TOMORROW(/TODAY MOST LIKELY AT THE TIME YOU ARE READING THIS! IT'S MIDNIGHT SOMEWHERE! IT'S MIDNIGHT EASTERN TIME AT THE TIME THAT I'M POSTING THIS, ACTUALLY!) ...ahem. Let me break from the caps to make this post actually read…

We're kicking off our month of Weird-Ass Dystopian Cities with Terry Gilliam's classic satirical nightmare, Brazil! Join us as we pick apart this strange world of failing systems and bureaucratic ass-covering that holds absolutely no similarity to the real world in which we live. Heh. Heh. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 127…

Hey everyone! To make the wait for next week's premier of Perpetua just a little bit easier, we decided to share a recent session of Realis Austin ran with the Nextlander crew! Enjoy! Hosted by Austin Walker (@austinwalker on bluesky) Featuring Vinny Caravella, Brad Shoemaker, and Alex Navarro Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp) Cover Ar…

While we spend a good part of this week's show grappling with the resurrection of the Acclaim name, we also find time to discuss Split Fiction, Knights in Tight Spaces, Gears of War on PS5, buying a (cheap) record player, the whereabouts of Bam Margera, a big week for video game source code, and the Sonic Unleashed PC port with big implications for…

We're closing out February with our second Best Picture winner in a row, this time jetting off to South Korea for Bong Joon-ho's Parasite. How does it hold up a few years removed from its hype? Very well, it turns out! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 126: Parasite (2019) (00:00:24) - Intro. (00:01:28) - Our film this week is…

This episode carries content warnings for body horror and military violence On a moon of muddy histories, none is as unclear as that of the Citadel Bein. There are, in fact, no records of a fortress ever being raised on the hill above the lake. But when you cannot find the roots, find the branches: Date the changes in county-wide taxes. Track the y…

This week we attempt to get back to the positive end of the yo-yo cycle by playing Monster Hunter Wilds, LAD: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, more Avowed, and some Steam Next Fest demos, plus the shocking closure of Monolith, some new Fable footage, Microsoft's games AI model, and your emails! Advertise on The Nextlander Podcast at Audioboom, or support u…

This week on the Watchcast The Sting is the thing! Join us as we time warp all the way back to the depressed '30s and delight in the con-artistry of certified grifter hunks Robert Redford and Paul Newman. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 125: The Sting (1973) (00:00:58) - Intro. (00:03:50) - Our delightful romp of a movie thi…