Sacred Symbols, Episode 351 | Too Many Shadows, Whispering Voices

I’m skeptical of the writing and characters with intergalactic - not the gameplay and fidelity, those should be top tier

Ahlickaloo

My three year old daughter is loving Astrobot. The post-launch Christmas level was key to her on-boarding. That taught her how to use all the functions without hitting frustrating roadblocks. Any parents thinking about introducing games, maybe give that a shot.

Stephen

I like the last of us 2, I just don't think naughtydogs current direction is conducive to being the huge blockbuster brand they once were, a huge base of fans are not happy at all, and tlou 2 way undersold compared to what It should have. Maybe the next game turns it around, all I'm saying is it's weird how people blame fans for not liking tlou2

Bailey Callis

Undying Love for Naughty Dog Derangement Syndrome

Ahlickaloo

Ummm, do you think I’m serious? Lol. Come on man.

Del Griffith

Why is it the audience's fault for not liking The Last of Us 2, rather than Naughty Dog's for creating a game that didn't appeal to so many? We can blame online discourse all we want, but at the end of the day, that game has seriously damaged Naughtydogs brand, and everyone's money's green no matter what they believe

Bailey Callis

I mean HBO puts out my favorite shit ever so idk how this is a dig. What network or streaming service is better? FX maybe?

Gooch Gobbler

What game is your example of a peak?

Gooch Gobbler

I’m referring to how it feels to pick up a gun, customize it, the ay objectives appear or are presented. How it feels to shoot or melee. The sound design/haptics around all of that. I’ve never “felt” a better game. The AI is very good as well and the way enemies speak to one another. Ok stealth and platforming I can give you maybe though the stealth take downs are some of my favorite in any game, but the shooting feels better than any game I’ve played. Are there more complex/fast third person shooters? Yeah but I don’t think they are done as well. What games are you thinking of?

Gooch Gobbler

Also it’s a concrete source the game is rated 90 plus on metacritic. That’s a fact and it plays a factor when we are discussing the games perception online. I’m just ignore that there are people who love the game and rated really highly just because the incels , haters and homophobs don’t want to acknowledge that their is another end of the spectrum that views the game extremely highly. The haters just wanna discredit that end of the spectrum because it’s convenient for them.

Big titty drinker

My point has been about the critical acclaim wasn’t a justification for its quality. The quality of the game speaks for its self. My point was in bringing that up was to say , so what if a vocal minority of incels hate on the game for it having gay people / “ transgender woman” in it on pockets online? The overwhelming majority people in the space agree that the game is of the highest quality. Even if it’s not for them. Your trying to make this a debate about the credibility of games media and I don’t give a shit about that. All I’m saying is the facts are it’s extremely highly praised-by people in the industry on the other end of the spectrum . We can’t just ignore that and try discredit and ignore thier opinion because it doesn’t fit with what the vocal minority online wants to push for thier agenda when discussing the game’s perception online. And while you are questioning the credibility of the games media you should also question the people who have extreme hate online as 90% of thier criticisms center around bigotry.

Big titty drinker

Yes, acclaimed by who? Legacy games media, which is wholly discredited but you keep citing it as a reliable source for the point you’re trying to make. If you’re still struggling to connect the dots, allow me to simplify this- saying “but it’s critically acclaimed” sounds like “but all the discredited, ideologically motivated, idiots in legacy media like it”. Hope this helps. If not, best of luck in life. It’s gonna be rough.

Jimmer

Flushable wipes segment had me hollering 😂😂😂

Aswad Charles

Lmao 😂 “ hair of wool” / “ skin of bronze” but keep lying to your self.

Big titty drinker

Born in 1990 and I remember the scoliosis and the lice check in school pretty regularly.

Bob Sacamano

Jesus was white, my devil worshiping friend. He still loves you through your blasphemy.

Del Griffith

Jesus was black.

Big titty drinker

Split fiction is an incredible game. Deserves every bit of praise it's getting imo

Bailey Callis

9 bucks in Chicago

Bruno Moyaho

I actually agree that the game ran a little too long no argument there. Playing as Abby is perfectly designed from a gameplay perspective. Also you are supposed to not like playing as her since she killed Joel just see her perspective and the justifications for why she did it. Also she serves to show the player how certain decisions cause long term damage to a persons life that can’t be fixed even when trying to change and do the right thing. She was very well written for the purpose she had in the story. As far as Joel goes your just flat out wrong. Joel wasn’t the same hardened killer that he was in the 1st game because he had lived in Jackson for 5 plus years. He was a pillar of that community had been indoctrinated into their culture. Had you actually paid attention to the story there are MULTIPLE references to people from Jackson helping and taking in outsiders that were stranded and needed help. Seth for example. It’s actually very high level good writing to reflect this change in Joel because human beings are not static and change based off the environment they are in. It would actually be poor writing if he was acting like a wild fucking animal living in Jackson. You thinking his IQ dropped is emotional reasoning not logical reasoning because you are hurt by the story direction. And in response to your Kanye comment, suck my dick I don’t even listen to Kanye 😭

Big titty drinker

To think a the pinnacle of gaming as a medium is a 3rd person narrative game is extremely reductive of what games have been before ND and what they can be.

Froilan

Stop putting words in my mouth. I didn’t mention the Trans stuff at all. If you want my opinion, the game is too long, playing as Abby sucks, and Joel’s IQ was cut in half to get rid of him, which is bad writing. (similar to Varys and Littlefinger in Seasons 7/8 of GOT). Now go back to Kanye’s favorite game.

WashedAF

He literally said they are HBO shows...similar to the marching band sequence in Severance that looks like a car commercial. There is just such a vapid and boring millenial writers room aesthetic to all shows and AAA games today. If you like that, cool. I'm a millenial and despise modern media for it's trends of "le heckin twist" and "subversive narrative". Trite and boring. Watch any deepcut like To Live And Die in LA or Streets of Fire and tell me we haven't lost something in aesthetic capabilities with storytelling

Andrew

They are technically impressive sure. But just because something mimics reality well doesn't make it good? Anyone can open up UE5, scrape some store bought assets together, and create something that looks life-like. No soul went into that though. There are some really beautiful moments in ND games that are heightened by the mocap and voice acting though. The last flashback at the end of TLOU2 with Ellie and Joel is a great example. I'm not sure what you mean by "feel," either. ND are far from the best third person shooting, stealth or platforming out there.

Jewelbox

I stopped playing TLou2 when they forced me to play as a trans woman! No thank you! Find God Naughty Dog!

Del Griffith

You know what’s so great about games? You play them.

CUMSoftware

No Return is so dope! Played it for hours, wish it was co op

Gooch Gobbler

I'm saying, these guys hate livin lol get out there gents, you can always stay in and game even more when you are old. Colin would despise Bonnaroo lol went about 5 times back in the day, like 2011-2017

Gooch Gobbler

Putting the story aside, do you not feel their presentation is excellent? The mocap, voice acting, the feel of their games is unmatched imo. Then of course graphically, their games are so beautiful. I've still only seen two games with better graphics in some very limited ways - Alan Wake on graphics mode and Horizon Forbidden West. Maybe you don't like their stories or don't think they are boundary pushing (I think they are) but how are they not the pinnacle of the medium in presentation? How is this anti-art?

Gooch Gobbler

Music in video games is one of the most important aspects in a game to me. If I'm going to spend 30-100 hours in a RPG I want the soundtrack to hit consistently throughout the experience. Generally my favorite game of a given year will more than likely have some of the most listened to tracks on my Spotify wrap-up as the year comes to a close. Even small indie games have great music nowadays. Dismissing its importance I think speaks more about the person than its relevance in the industry today.

Alex

True flushable wipes exist and I be flushing 'em.

Patrick Treanor

Colin, you are 100% right you could not survive Bonnaroo knowing you lmao I almost didn't survive in my early 20s out of my mind on various things the entire time. It is a ROUGH but beautiful experience. I'm too old for that shit now but went 5 times back in the day. Chris, Coachella is kinda lame for a fest despite the good artist selection. Just filled with the lamest people unlike Bonnaroo. Influencers vs. hippies. Sad my two favorite fests don't happen anymore- Buku and Pitchfork

Gooch Gobbler

PvZ better have a Platinum! I got all the trophies but there was no Plat on the original PS3 release

Glen Yelenovic

At 2.58.00, I think people hate on ND for a ton of different reasons. From my perspective, any sour taste I personally have for their games is largely due to the fans. As we can see in this very email, there is an insistence that these types of games are inherently "better" than others because of some vague objective standard. It's thoroughly anti art. And Colin reflects this by rhetorically asking"do you really think it's not going to be good?" He's says that with the underlying suggestion that it would be unthinkable to consider a ND game bad. I quite like the Naughty Dog games, but they are not some boundary pushing pinnacle of the medium, they are the game equivalent to a big budget AMC or HBO show. I will thoroughly admit it's an elitist perspective though. If you think ND games are like some of the best stories ever told I will just assume you haven't actually experienced much outside of whatever big budget show, game or film is currently popular. Why Naughty Dog gets the flak and not Santa Monica or any of the other similar over the shoulder action games don't is strange though.

Jewelbox

That is what I pay in New York…

TheMuff1nMon

And to be honest even if they rated in the 70s I wouldn’t care I think it’s a masterpiece regardless. You can not like it that’s fine and your preference but to try and argue it’s a bad game just means you lack taste and don’t really know what the fuck your talking about in any serious capacity.

Big titty drinker

lol I’m not defending anything. It’s just a fact that it’s one of the most critically acclaimed games ever. I’m not gonna ignore that just because internet incels don’t like it

Big titty drinker

LOL imagine defending legacy games media? Some people are hopeless.

Jimmer

I think you’re taking your love of a game a bit too serious

RIPIT

a dozen eggs is $7 or $8 in suburban/rural ohio, $10 in LA proper is entirely believable

Zeke

1. He is a retard. 2. People had hate for naughty before TLOU 2 since left behind actually cause they were angry about Ellie being gay. 3. He didn’t give me examples of valid criticisms. He referred to YouTube creators Opinions because he lacks the intellectual prowess to actually articulate valid criticisms on his own other than “it’s a trans game bro that’s why it praised”. That being said every game has valid criticisms that doesn’t prevent all being exceptional high level pieces of art. And when the most popular line of criticism online is “ argh a butch transgender bitch killed my fav character” It’s very easy to write off as a bunch of incels crying . And I’m glad naughty dog writes it off a well.

Big titty drinker

Also like I said last of us part 1 was released like 3 times between remasters and remakes. And like I said if you think the game got 10s because it’s a “transgender game hurr durr” then your a fucking moron and not worth my time.

Big titty drinker

lol you clearly lack reading comprehension. I was talking about naughty dog at large as they would receive hate even before TLOU 2. But your so emotionally invested to hating on that game you jumped straight to that when I didn’t even mention it trying to provide justifications as based off stupid ass shit like transgender comments .

Big titty drinker

Naughty Dog has nothing to do with TLOU2? Is that seriously your argument? Go back to Reddit. And I’m sure that “critical acclaim” pays for the 10s of millions of fewer copies that the sequel sold.

WashedAF

$10USD on a dozen eggs….? Ok Chris…

Adam Barnes

Free Dustin.

Will Anderson

TLoU2 was their last release how does that prove your point? Bringing up their last release doesn't mean they were "so ready to hate on TLoU2." That doesn't logically follow. Naughty Dog's overall perception was radically shifted after the release of TLoU2. It's not like he brought it up out of nowhere. It's central to the issue that YOU are bringing up. Dude literally gives you two examples of the criticism that you said didn't exist and then didn't even bother to check them out to see for yourself. Your response boils down to "nah it's melodrama you're a retard." Like bruh these are the least intellectually honest arguments I've seen in a minute and all the while you're calling him retarded for absolutely nothing.

Zac

Praying that Project Delta isn’t SOCOM. For the majority of players, it’ll just come off as generic military. I think the time for SOCOM is well in the past.

Anthony Palerino

I think Starfield and Indy will sell well on PS5. Great games. I thought the faction side content in Starfield was better than the main quest.

Michael Limauro

Guys, I loved this episode. LSM has been a lifeline during a rough patch. My family of five, wife, two little ones, 6 and 2, and my awesome mother-in-law, has been displaced since a fire gutted our home before Christmas. Renovations drag on, but your content keeps me sane. Colin, those sighs hit me right in the soul. I laughed until it hurt. Thanks for the top-notch distraction. Game on!

Clay Layne

Chris brought up the gta 4 statue of liberty easter egg, this reminded me of a glitch where you can fly your helicopter into the empire state building and then carefully fly down under the map. Me and my friends would hang out playing that game all the time and do that shit. There was a beach under water that you could fly to and hangout at this underwater beach, it was awesome in multiplayer. Good times. It might’ve only worked in multiplayer

Tristan Kimball

If you believe that then you’re a retard and part of the problem I’m talking about.

Big titty drinker

Critically acclaimed means nothing today. Look at who the “critics” are. TLOU2 was destined to be praised by games media the second they added transgender children.

Jimmer

???

Louis Armstrong transforms into Louis Strongarm by shouting WOW, Shazam-style

Noah Bucchi

Also you kinda proved my point. I wasn’t even talking about TLoU2 but naughty dog as whole and their overall perception. Yet you were so ready to hate on tlou2 in your head you jumped straight to that. Read my original comment again. I never even mentioned tlou2😂😂😂

Big titty drinker

It’s completely just online incel melodrama imo. People who just wanna hate on the game because they can’t get out of their feelings and will look for anyway possible just to hate on the game no matter what. And lol ofcourse it sold less the first game to this point. They rereleased the first game 15 times and part one came out 7 years earlier. Let’s not be retarded please and act like it bombed 😭TLoU 2 is more critically acclaimed than part 1 whether people butthurt about the story decisions like it or not. Most people I know in the real world universally agree part 2 is a master piece which is why I say it’s just online cringe lord stuff.

Big titty drinker

There is a ton of honest criticism. Skillup’s and Neverknowsbest put out excellent vids on TLOU2. You don’t have to watch it, but don’t say it doesn’t exist. Also, the sequel sold significantly less than the original. It’s not just an “online” thing

WashedAF

Dark Outlaw Games---> D.O.G---->Naughty Dog = Last of Us FPS survival game!!! (Sarcasm implied)

Aaron B Vick

Glad I wrote in about Bloodstained. I actually swore I heard from you, Colin, that Shutaro “Curry Hermit” Ida had fallen seriously ill. I scanned the timestamps in October but didn’t see it so maybe not. Either way it’s a bummer. Colin, I will add one thing to your remarks, which is that i am fine with them moving towards a SotN style pixel art for a sequel, but I do think there is one nuance you might be overlooking. Curse of the Moon 1&2 are excellent for what they are, but Ritual of the Night brought in a slew of new fans including myself. So while I appreciate your perspective on the art style, I think it’s important to cater to a wide audience; RotN did that by modernizing the formula/look. Thanks!

Hugh Jalode

Colin, if you liked echochrome then Monument Valley is a great game to try. It’s chill and on Apple Arcade.

Drew Hamilton

We’re so close. I doubt he will actually play a Sonic kart racing game, but I would love to have Chris join us Sonic>Mario Kart Supremacists. I still have yet to play CTR, so I don’t know where that ranks. Also, shout out to Blur.

Louis Armstrong transforms into Louis Strongarm by shouting WOW, Shazam-style

Platinumed omega collection last year. Totally get Chris wanting it as a wind down game. It’s a total flow state game and feels relaxing when you’re just zooming and hitting those tight corners. 2048 was my personal favorite but I respect his preferences for the older ones.

Caleb Peacock

Matty is currently or about to play death stranding too.

Jorge Sosa

I had a very similar experience to the Beach Boys as Colin as kid. Aware of their songs but was never really interested. They were just the corny band that played with Uncle Jesse on Full House. It wasn't until the HBO show Big Love where God Only Knows was the theme song that i really began to become intrigued. After listening to Pet Sounds i was hooked. The documentary on Disney+ is pretty awesome

E_DOUBLE

Five is definitely not too young. Per my parents, I was around two and a half when they let me play games and supposedly I was able to beat the first level of the first Mario game. As long as I did well in school and didn’t get in trouble, I could game as much as I wanted. They tried to restrict M rated games before but then I was like why? Nothing is worse than any movie and I don’t get in trouble and they didn’t argue with it and let me do so. Good for developing the kids hand eye coordination too and stimulate creativity and wonder.

PairOfShuse

Beach Boys were actually the first concert I saw live in the 80s. Obviously not not when they were at their peak but I remember enjoying it.

Allen Crenshaw

I don’t really care about difficulty. I play their games on the highest difficulty anyway as it’s the best way to play imo. I just don’t wanna be looking things up every five minutes to see everything. That breaks immersion and is a result of poor game design imo which I have always been highly critical of fromsoft for.

Big titty drinker

They'll be judged on the quality of their games - if they release fantastic games, people won't give a shit, and over time you just become used to it As Colin says, Naughty Dog is a ridiculous name for a studio. But we don't even think about it because, well, it's Naughty Dog

Deemac

I feel like people are reading WAY too much into this tbh. Druckmann said in an interview ages ago (which is also why I'm a little surprised this is coming out as news now, I'm sure I read this a while ago) that he was inspired by Elden Ring in terms of the freedom that it gives to the player, the game doesn't hold your hand etc. So I'm guessing it's these aspects that he would be taking inspiration from when making Intergalactic. But people seemed to read the headlines and automatically think that Intergalactic is gonna be a Soulslike, with obscure story, punishing gameplay etc. I feel people are missing the mark a bit. ND are masters at what they do and I highly doubt they're gonna stray too far from it - but theres no harm in them modifying their formula a bit, and taking inspiration from other big games. That doesn't mean they're gonna change genre completely Though from the last shot of the Intergalactic reveal trailer, there's signs that maybe this game will have more melee combat than what we've been used to from ND, so maybe they take some inspiration from Elden Ring there - but I'd guess more in a mechanics sense, not difficulty.

Deemac

The new naughty dog game taking inspiration from Elden ring isn’t a good thing imo as I find that game kinda boring and fairly overrated. But its setting by far was the worst part to me. I trust naughty dog to execute better on the idea from soft had with it though , and I’m much more into sci-fi stuff so we shall see.

Big titty drinker

Us One Piece fans have been waiting in silence, it’s finally our time 😈

Michael McCoy

I’ve said it multiple times but in regard to naughty dog and their perception on line , you just can’t take any of it seriously. The toxicity in conversation around them is so bad due to jealousy, fanboyism, right wing anti woke incels that looking for any honest conversation about thier work online is silly. Honestly looking for anything in the form of an honest conversation online about anything is fools errand today.

Big titty drinker

🤌

Louis Armstrong transforms into Louis Strongarm by shouting WOW, Shazam-style

Papa John's joke flew under the radar. I chuckled.

Jason Bolla

Ah found it. 15 minutes earlier. Not trying to nitpick. Great show!

TreyDogg

Was the what we are playing time stamp accurate? I just hear the wb leak at that time.

TreyDogg

Dustin: you’re really trying to tell me you’re not bopping to KH2FM OST on a random Wednesday?!? I can’t believe it…

Tom Gentry

Indeed,

Lunar Tear

Dark Outlaw is an insanely lame name for a studio

Jeece

Would be cool if Jason Blundell released a game instead of opening up new studios

joefray_

I think Brad also finished Death Stranding recently so he could be another one in a spoiler cast

Breno Bezerra Bluhm

Chris- "when you have an apartment, you need to be reasonably considerate." You would think so, but people are animals.

Michael Rogers

A BONNAROO MENTION!!! I have gone 10x from 2006 to 2024. It is probably my favorite place on Earth. Colin, you would probably hate it now, but damn dude, you missed some fucking amazing shit by not going. Chris, you should go to Coachella. If you wind up hating it, just don't go again. The amount of opportunities you guys mention passing on breaks my fucking heart. Happy 8th anniversary!

Steve Jula

Howdy! We do not plan to restock the black tees any time soon. We had previously ordered that design twice, so we wanted to do a new color this time. If we do another run of black tees it will be when the blue ones have sold out. Apologies! -Micah

Mama Micah

And all the rest

Louis Armstrong transforms into Louis Strongarm by shouting WOW, Shazam-style

Colin and the audience giving Dustin carte blanche to talk more is only fueling my greatest fear of a 45 minute one piece segment every week 😭

Zac

Semenal record

Louis Armstrong transforms into Louis Strongarm by shouting WOW, Shazam-style

Huge Beach Boys fan here. Colin, it sounds like you’re listening to the stereo mixes of those early albums, which can be pretty bad especially on the pre-Pet Sounds stuff. Spotify and Apple Music should have the mono versions, that’s the way to go.

Dominic Brant

In modernity...

Mike Held

*nerd voice* ooooh the mixing ohh I can’t stand the mixing

Noah Erickson

Patreon RSS not working? What else is new. It randomly doesn't work at least once a month it seems.

Mike Held

Same, on apple podcast app

out_of_focus_bigfoot

I relate to Dustin, why say many word when few word do trick?

Play me like a Bionicle

This isn't loading on the rss feed

Alex

Same

Anton Le Platte

Same

James Soler

311 do not have a “seminal” record. Stand down.

Stephen Lucey

A fun drinking game is taking a shot every time Chris says ostensibly

Troy

Umphrey's McGee is a jam band. You can't go to a concert for a jam band and expect them not to jam...

Mike Held

Don't get me wrong I love Pet Sounds but Sunflower, 20/20, Surfs Up are all so elite

Scott LaFontaine

Not getting this on my podcast app feed 🤔

James Pies

Intergalactic now Sacred Symbols, Pet Shop Boys are so back.

Allen Crenshaw

Milady

Theotokos Respecter

We had scoliosis checks every couple years in elementary and middle school in Connecticut. I always assumed they did it because our backpacks were usually three quarters of our body weight.

Forrest Hunter

I love the cover art to Surfs Up by the Beach Boys. If anyone doesn't know what it looks like, look it up. I wouldn't think "The Beach Boys" when seeing it lol

Zack

How can this be???

Adam Martinez

Ostensibly

Deemac

Born in 84 raised in Dallas, Texas. Getting the scoliosis check in gym class was absolutely a thing for our generation. However, ball fondling was only for PTA contributors

Shortsoptional

When is the black premium stealth tee being restocked ? 👀 I want both blue and black, but would rather order at the same time to save postage (from UK).

Andrew C

I’m early AF, in SOME SENSE.

KillnStrangers

Hell yea. The sacred boys are back. Now my weekend starts. Let’s go slits!

Mullet curls 420