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Beyond

IGN

For decades, PlayStation consoles have brought incredible games and unforgettable stories to millions of gamers— and Beyond has been there every step of the way. Join passionate PlayStation experts Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, and Akeem Lawanson for witty, insightful analysis of the latest PlayStation news, must-play games, and everything coming to PlayStation 5. Whether you're a die-hard fan or new to the world of PlayStation, Beyond is your ultimate PlayStation podcast. Beyond! is a part of Geek Media Podcast Network, an IGN Entertainment Brand. Visit Geek.com for more information.

Location:

San Francisco, CA

Networks:

IGN

Description:

For decades, PlayStation consoles have brought incredible games and unforgettable stories to millions of gamers— and Beyond has been there every step of the way. Join passionate PlayStation experts Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, and Akeem Lawanson for witty, insightful analysis of the latest PlayStation news, must-play games, and everything coming to PlayStation 5. Whether you're a die-hard fan or new to the world of PlayStation, Beyond is your ultimate PlayStation podcast. Beyond! is a part of Geek Media Podcast Network, an IGN Entertainment Brand. Visit Geek.com for more information.

Language:

English

Contact:

625 2nd Street 4th Floor San Francisco, CA 94107 415-696-5453


Episodes
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How Can Resident Evil Requiem Keep The Series Fresh After 30 Years? - Beyond 904

7/2/2025
Let’s get this out of the way: we’re happy there’s a new Resident Evil game on the way and we will absolutely be playing it day one. That said, the way Capcom is framing Resident Evil Requiem has us a bit skeptical - especially with them specifically bringing up the fact that Leon Kennedy (supposedly) isn’t in it. We discuss how Resident Evil’s latest installment has a lot of expectation to meet, and when something’s been around for thirty years and undergone as many changes and mutations as this one has, it becomes a very difficult balancing act making everyone happy. In other Capcom news, a new Street Fighter movie is in the works, and based on the cast that’s been announced and the director’s previous work, we’re very excited for… whatever the hell kind of movie this winds up being. The good news is that the bar is not very high, so best case scenario, it’s actually a good movie. Second-best, it’s bad in a fun way like the 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme one. Worst case? It’s boring to the point of being unwatchable, like the 2009 film The Legend of Chun Li. Oh, and this month’s Beyond game club game is Ghost of Tsushima. 00:00 - Intro 00:55 - Capcom Had A Stream 01:36 - Is Leon a "Bad Match" for Horror? 12:54 - How Can Resident Evil Requiem Keep The Series Fresh? 23:16 - Street Fighter Cast Discussion 33:21 - 50 Cent is Balrog 35:07 - The Tribal Chief is Headed To Street Fighter 36:57 - M. Bison Casting 41:04 - Street Fighter Movie Director 43:31 - The Original Street Fighter Movie 51:05 - BEYOND Game Club! *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:59:39

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Death Stranding 2: Weird, Confusing and a Technical Masterpiece - Beyond 903

6/25/2025
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is finally almost here, and as one of 2025’s few big PlayStation exclusives, you can see why a lot of PS5 owners would be excited for this one. This week, we’re joined by Simon Cardy, who reviewed DS2 for IGN, to discuss the many things it does right, whether or not that’s enough to win over folks who didn’t live the first game, and also unpack a handful of criticisms of Hideo Kojima’s latest magnum opus. One thing’s for sure, it’s a step up in practically every way from the first game, with better visuals, better paced missions, and a whole arsenal of new gadgets, gear, and guns to help Sam Porter Bridges deliver the mail, fend off BTs, or terrorize roaming bands of ruffians throughout the Australian outback. *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Limon, Simon Cardy, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:05:28

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Sony Hints At PlayStation 6, Knows Most Players Aren’t Into Cloud Gaming - Beyond 902

6/18/2025
The PlayStation 6 is still a long ways off, but Sony acknowledged they’re pushing the platform forward and exploring new ways for us to engage with it, but they’re well aware that streaming games from the cloud isn’t how most of us play our games. The PlayStation Portal might seem to suggest that’s the direction the company is taking things, but unfortunately, end-to-end network stability is out of their control - so, rest assured, it sounds like the next console generation will still be doing its thing locally. Death Stranding 2 is just a few weeks away, and we can’t talk about it quite yet, but we can talk about how weird of a game the first one was, and how its unconventional gameplay loop coupled with an extremely out-there story wasn’t exactly as accessible as your average AAA video game. But, if you’re antsy to take a hike and make some deliveries, we’ve got a list of other Death Stranding-likes that involve courier work, rough terrain, bleak post-apocalyptic landscapes, or some combination thereof. Beyond! *** 00:00 - Intro 01:23 - Sony Is Starting to Talk About Its Next-Generation PlayStation Console 23:55 - Death Stranding 2 44:16 - 13 Games To Play While You’re Waiting For Death Stranding 2 01:01:57 - Humble x IGN Live *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:08:23

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Resident Evil Requiem: New Details on Gameplay, Setting, Characters & More - Beyond 901

6/11/2025
Resident Evil Requiem (or Resident Evil 9, RE9uiem, or whatever we’re supposed to call it) got an official reveal during Summer Game Fest 2025, and shortly after that, a select few people got to play a demo behind closed doors. IGN’s Matt Kim was one of those lucky people, so he stopped by to tell us about the game’s newest features. There’s option to swap between first and third person perspective, but that’s not the only new POV. Grace Ashcroft is a new protagonist, and despite rumors that Leon Kennedy would make his return, there’s no sign of him quite yet, but that could always change. We also discuss the demo’s hospital like setting, a big creepy new monster that’s chasing Grace around, and a few other details. RE9 wasn’t the only big reveal, and we recap and discuss a few others, like CD Projekt Red’s unbelievable Unreal 5 tech demo showing off something that’s sort of like The Witcher 4, but not quite gameplay, so maybe we should take it with a grain of salt. Other heavy hitters include Invincible Vs., Dying Light The Beast, Romeo is a dead man, 007 First Light, and The Expanse: Osirus Reborn, which looks like Mass Effect, and is from the developers of Pathfinder: Kingmaker and the Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader games. Finally, there are a bunch of cool-looking games that haven’t gotten quite as much buzz, possibly because they have weird names, such as Luto, Holstin, Aphelion, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream, Hela, and Mu Dang: Two Hearts. End of Abyss, Screamer, and Reach also look cool, though maybe their names aren’t weird enough. 00:00 - Intro 01:08 - Let's Talk About Resident Evil Requiem 14:30 - Grace vs Ethan 17:33 - The Rise and Fall of Capcom 19:34 - The Next Resident Evil Remake? 22:15 - What Other Games Did Matt Play At Summer Game Fest? 36:05 - The Witcher 4 47:45 - Invincible Vs 52:22 - Dying Light The Beast 56:54 - Other Cool Games With Weird Names 01:08:59 - Romeo is a Dead Man *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, Matt Kim, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:26:58

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Let's Play The Ultimate PlayStation 4 Game Show, Wheel of PS4-tune! - Beyond 900

6/7/2025
It's our 900th episode! And we're at IGN Live! So, in honor of this momentous occasion, we invented a whole game show: Wheel of PS4-tune! Why? Because it was a good title. So, all the questions are about Sony's last console generation, its hardware, games, and so on. How well do Brian and Jada know deep-cut PlayStation 4-centric trivia? How are they at guessing video games based on their ESRB descriptions? Do they remember the whole launch lineup? How good are they at anagrams? Who can throw a teeshirt further? It's a big loud stupid birthday party episode, and I'm writing this before we actually shoot the dang thing so who knows how it'll go, so apologies in advance if it goes even further off the rails than we anticipated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:30:30

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007 First Light, Marvel Tokon, Silent Hill f and More From Sony's Summer State of Play - Beyond 899

6/5/2025
On this very special episod eof Podcast Beyond, Max, Brian, and Jada are joined by John Davison to react to the latest PlayStation State of Play where Sony showed off a ton of games. This episodes highlights were the reveal of the new James Bond game from IO Interactve, 007 First Light, and the Arc System Works Marvel themed fighter MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. After that the crew gives their thoughts on some of the other games announced like Silent Hill f, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Nioh 3, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Ghost of Yōtei, Lumines Arise, and a whole lot more. Beyond! This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:56:26

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We're So Glad Hideo Kojima is Still Making Weird Games - Beyond 898

5/28/2025
Kojima is always up to something and this week is no different. On this week's very special epsiode of Podcast Beyond!, Jada, Nick, and Max break down their favorite Kojima games, why hes so influential, and why him preparing to keep his legacy going long after he dies via a USB stick isnt even the strangest thing hes said lately. *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Limon and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:00:41:08

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Will Fairgame$ be the next Helldivers 2 or Hyenas? - Beyond 897

5/21/2025
Sony’s big push for live-service games hasn’t exactly been a resounding success, and the news that Haven, the studio behind the upcoming extraction-shooter Fairgame$, recently lost its founder Jade Raymond doesn’t exactly instill confidence. But, on the bright side, Helldivers 2: Heart of Democracy update takes the battle to Super Earth, giving the Starship Troopers-like a bit of an Earth Defense Force spin. Jada reviewed Blades of Fire, which apparently has a great smithing minigame, but underwhelms otherwise, and Max has been playing Revenge of the Savage Planet, and Nick’s been ripping and tearing through Doom: The Dark Ages. Finally, we chatted with Sea of Stars creative director Thierry Boulanger about the upcoming DLC, Throes of the Watchmaker. 00:00 - Intro 00:53 - Will Fairgame$ be the next Helldivers 2 or Hyenas? 16:48 - Helldivers 2 New Patch Is Pretty Cool 22:06 - Come hang out at IGN Live 2025! 25:57 - Blades of Fire Review Discussion 35:28 - Max has been playing Revenge of the Savage Planet 43:40 - Nick’s Been Ripping and Tearing Through Doom: The Dark Ages 47:00 - Sea of Stars Creative Director Thierry Boulanger 01:03:29 - Outro *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Limon and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:10:55

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Doom: The Dark Ages Rips and Tears Its Way Into Our Hearts - Beyond 896

5/14/2025
This week, we’re rippin’ and tearin’ into Doom: The Dark Ages - but in a nice way! id Software’s recent installments in the beloved FPS series have been heavy-hitters in their own right, but the latest entry offers a truly satisfying experience with some of the most brutally crunchy combat in recent memory, an arsenal of new weapons and abilities that keep it fresh, and bottomless monster closet of nightmare demon hellspawn to explode into blood. Meanwhile, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 are still hella sick, possibly even more so since getting a modern overhaul, and Nick had lots of nice things to say about his time with them, aside from the snow levels, which he has a problem with for some bizarre reason. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach will probably have some snowy areas, despite its title, and we unpack some of the details revealed in a recent preview event during which IGN Japan’s Koji Fukuyama got to play a whopping 30 hours of Hideo Kojima’s next magnum opus. Meanwhile, Jada and Michael Higham sat down the the developers of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to get some insight into how one of the best games of 2025 came together. Beyond! *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Maillet, Nick Limon and is produced by Tayo Oyekan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:15:14

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GTA 6: Will It Be The Best-Looking Video Game Ever? - Beyond 895

5/7/2025
GTA 6 is set to redefine visual fidelity in gaming, but beyond the graphics, we have nine very specific questions about Jason and Lucia's adventure. From gameplay mechanics like Jason's in-game console and Lucia's ankle monitor to narrative possibilities like prison time and relationship dynamics, this episode dives deep into what Rockstar's trailer suggests about the experience. We also explore whether GTA 6 could be gaming's first true "lovers on the run" story, a trope well-established in film but rarely attempted in games. Join Max, Jada, and Brian as they analyze these details and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:05:27

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Borderlands 4 Has More Guns, But Less Goofs - Beyond 894

4/30/2025
On this weeks very special epsidoe of Beyond! Max, Nick, and Jada react to the Borderlands 4 State of Play where they share their thoughts on the games new direction, its gameplay improvements, Randy Pitchfords shirt choice, and if they think the game was moved forward to accomidate that one Florida simulator everybody is paitently waiting for. After that they get into their thoughts on the newest trailer for Ghost of Yotei, its similaraties to Assassins Creed Shadows, and how dang good that game is going to look when it releases this October. After that, Max and Jada give their honest reactions about the Until Dawn movie thats very much not like the game and Nick asks if this is worth watching if youre a fan of cheesy slashers. Finally, Jada reveals next months Game Club game, its Dave The Diver! Beyond! This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Maillet, and is produced by Red Rigos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:13:10

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Between Oblivion Remastered & Clair Obscur, RPG Fans Have It Made - Beyond 893

4/23/2025
Whether you’d like a turn-based foray into a whole new fantasy realm, or a meticulously overhauled return trip to a familiar open-world, there’s plenty to keep you busy this week between Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. We’ve got plenty to say about these role-playing games, which are both doing very different things very well (and which of course have their own shortcomings.) But overall, the role-playing game genre seems alive and well. Baldur’s Gate 3 proved there’s plenty of demand for old-school isometric turn-based dungeon crawling, while Final Fantasy XVI and FF7 Remake/Rebirth have both broken into realtime action-heavy combat. We’re getting brand new IP like Clair Obscur and Metaphor Re:Fantazio, but plenty of classics are getting new leases on life, whether it’s in fully modern overhauls like Persona 3 Reload, or Dragon Quest’s HD-2D remakes. Heck, even Like a Dragon decided to ditch beat-em-up action for a turn-based party system. In other news, Jada and Nick have nice things to say about Unbeatable, which has a free demo on PSN and PC, and Max is obsessed with Bionic Bay, a puzzle-platformer that’s reminiscent of Limbo and Inside, but with a dash of Portal thrown in for good measure. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Maillet, and is produced by Marhyan Franzen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:01:06

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When Did You Realize PlayStation Was a Major Player? - Beyond 892

4/16/2025
This week, we’re joined by our pal Mike Drucker, stand-up comedian and writer, formerly of IGN, more recently of The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and Full Frontal With Samatha Bee, and most recently the author of the book “Good Game, No Rematch: A Life Made of Video Games.” Drucker’s book is a semi-autobiographical trip down memory lane, recounting some hilarious and endearing anecdotes about growing up with gaming. So, we took the opportunity to reflect on some of our earliest memories of the PlayStation, and when we knew it would fare better than so many other Nintendo competitors. Looking ahead, there are rumors circulating yet again about a next-gen PlayStation Portable, or a portable PlayStation of some sort, which is in line with what everyone else is doing - but we do want Sony to do what everyone else is doing? The Steamdeck is an awesome machine, but it’s generous to call it handheld or portable device. The Nintendo Switch 2 is getting bigger, and more powerful, and for a lot of people, that’s great, but some of us are nostalgic for the days of gaming being a bit more… pocket sized. Meanwhile, we discuss this month’s Beyond Game Club game, Bloodborne. Have you heard of it? Well, too bad, you’re gonna hear even more about it. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Atlano, Mike Drucker, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:07:39

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Why Blue Prince is 2025’s Highest Rated Game So Far - Beyond 891

4/9/2025
We’ve got a jam-packed episode this week! First order of business, Blue Prince just dropped and it’s currently the best-reviewed game of the year so far, so what’s the big deal? We invited IGN’s executive reviews editor and Blue Prince reviewer Tom Marks to discuss the many brilliant things this roguelite first-person puzzle game does right, and the handful of nitpicks that keep it from being a totally smooth experience. But fans of The Witness, Return of the Obra Dinn and Outer Wilds will likely find something here to love. One thing we don’t love is the announcement of a very Bloodborne-coded FromSoftware game that’s not a Bloodborne sequel or even coming to PlayStation. The Nintendo Switch 2-exclusive multiplayer game The Duskbloods looks cool, but with a lot of caveats. Bloodborne turned 10 a couple weeks ago, so we’re celebrating the milestone with a return to Yarnham in this month’s Beyond Game Club. Also in this episode, Jada and Akeem sat down with performance-capture actor and stuntman Eric Jacobus to talk about what it’s like bringing some of gaming’s most brutal actions to live, from punching like Kratos to performing Fatalities in Mortal Kombat without anyone getting hurt, Eric had a ton of insight. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Tom Marks, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:38:30

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Atomfall and 6 Games we Want to Play before 2026 - Beyond 890

4/2/2025
This week on Beyond Jada Griffin is hosting yet again! Joined by Travis Northrup, Cameron Kingdom Hearts Hawken, Kevin Diaz and Brian Altano makes an appearance for an Atomfall Interview with Ben Fisher - Head of Design at Rebellion - and Rebellion CEO and modern day knight, Jason Kingsley. We talk about Sony’s appearance at Cinemacon with unveiling dates for not one but two Spider-Man Movies, we speculate on the tiniest of updates on Ghost of Yotei, and we spotlight six more games to keep an eye on that we hope to play before 2026. We also announce Aprils game for Beyond Game Club and we hope that you will all join us as we play it. All this and more on this week's BEYOND! 00:00:00 - Intro & Ghost of Yotei 00:06:35- Blue Prince 00:10:08 - Wildgate 00:15:58 - Sunderfolk 00:21:37 - Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter & Den of Wolves 00:31:15 - Spine 00:36:31 - Atomfall Developer Interview 01:00:01 - IGN Live & What We’re Playing 01:09:07 - Beyond Game Club Announcement 01:13:23 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:21:43

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Bloodborne Turns 10 And It’s Time For a Remaster - Beyond 889

3/26/2025
This week on Beyond Jada Griffin is back in the host chair along with Akeem and Brian for one of our longest episodes in a while. They talk about the numerous anniversaries happening over at Sony this month including Bloodborne's 10th which Brian gets nostalgic for, PSP’s 20th anniversary, and God of War’s 20th anniversary all with 67 inches of Jormungandr for your pleasure. We also picked out five plus one bonus game to keep your eye out for in 2025 and spoiler most of them are out in just a few months! Jada then shares her favorite games she got to play at GDC, including some with some really strange controllers. Finally March’s Beyond Game Club comes to an end as they give their final thoughts on returning to Batman: Arkham Asylum nearly 16 years later. All this and more on this week's BEYOND! This week’s show is Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Beyond! is a part of Geek Media Podcast Network, an IGN Entertainment Brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:33:18

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Assassin's Creed Shadows is Unexpectedly One of Our Favorite Games of 2025 - Beyond 888

3/19/2025
It’s been in the works for years, and delayed by several months, but Assassin’s Creed Shadows is finally here, and it’s worth the wait. Y’know, assuming you like big huge open-world games, don’t mind when Assassin’s Creed games veer into RPG territory, and are interested in the feudal Japanese setting. We’re all having a blast, and while it doesn’t break the mold or color too far outside the lines of previous entries, specifically the one used to make Assassin’s Creed Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla, it does a great job refining what worked best, creating a big huge playground for ninja and samurai mayhem that look absolutely stunning on the latest gaming hardware. The dual protagonists are endearing, and the different approaches to combat and exploration that Yasuke and Naoe’s playstyles allow for should help keep things fresh, even dozens of hours into the game. Now, the big question: what does this mean for 2025’s OTHER big huge open-world samurai game, Ghost of Yotei? Will it be a samurai showdown, or will a rising tide raise all ships? Either way, anyone who likes running around killing dudes with a katana and shuriken is eating good this year. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Mark Medina, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet, Beyond! is a part of Geek Media Podcast Network, an IGN Entertainment Brand. Eat smart with Factor. Get started at factormeals.com/FACTORPODCAST and use code FACTORPODCAST to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:21:14

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What Will The PS5 Generation Be Remembered For? - Beyond 887

3/12/2025
Last week, we got some major news about The Last of Us. Unfortunately, that news amounted to Neil Druckmann saying “don’t bet on” a third game, and then the announcement of a limited edition The Last of Us Part 2 Dualsense controller. Though there’s a new season of the HBO series on the horizon, that’s got to be a bit of a drag for TLOU fans – but was there ever going to be a happy ending for this series, which basically takes place in a bad ending for humans, in general? In any case, this is par for the course for Naughty Dog, which has typically moved on from each franchise after a few games. Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter each got a trilogy and change, Uncharted stuck around for a fourth full installment, plus Lost Legacy, but considering the heavy subject matter and the amount of time the studio has spent on the series, maybe it’s time to move on to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet? That’s what Naughty Dog’s up to right now, but what about the rest of PlayStation Studios? We know about a few upcoming projects like Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yotei and Housemarque’s Saros, but the bulk of Sony’s first party development studios have been radio silent for quite some time - not counting a few closures, and announcements of cancelled projects. Finally, it’s not quite first party, but Death Stranding 2: On The Beach got a big 10 minute trailer gameplay reveal music video thing, and it looks gorgeous, but has us wondering how on board we are for more of Kojima’s drawn out cutscenes interspersed with trips to deliver peoples’ mail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:21:32

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Forza Horizon 5 & Days Gone Are Getting More Mileage on PS5 - Beyond 886

3/5/2025
As part of this month’s Beyond Game Club, we’re revisiting Batman Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady’s debut game featuring the Dark Knight, which arrived in 2009 and laid the groundwork for Arkham City and Arkham Knight. As much as we adore the massive open-world Gotham City, in a lot of ways, Arkham Asylum is the perfect Batman game: a mix of action-packed combat and detective work in the form of puzzles and navigating the labyrinthine penitentiary for Gotham’s most twisted denizens. So, what went wrong? Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League swung for the fences in multiple directions at once and ultimately struck out, while Gotham Knights sent us back into Gotham, but not as the character we’d most like to play as. Is it so hard to make a good Batman game? Well, yes, it’s hard to make any game, good or otherwise, about anything, let alone a character with this much lore and history and reverence. But still, a Rocksteady take on Batman Beyond and/or the Arkham formula retooled in a Bruce Timm-style cel-shaded Gotham both seem like missed opportunities. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:13:14

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Monster Hunter Wilds Review Discussion! - Beyond 885

2/26/2025
Monster Hunter Wilds will soon be out in the wild, and this week we’re joined by IGN’s reviewer Tom Marks and resident Monster Hunter expert Case DeFrietas to talk about how the latest installment in Capcom’s most popular series pushing the franchise forward, discuss the numerous things it does right, but address one common complaint amont reviewers, in that it’s too easy compared to the previous games. Plus, bad news just broke about WB Games, namely the closure of three studios, including Monolith, unfortunately putting an end to the long-awaited Wonder Woman project. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Casey DeFreitas, Tom Marks, and is produced by Nick Maillet Beyond! is a part of Geek Media Podcast Network, an IGN Entertainment Brand. Visit Geek.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duration:01:08:28