The Game Informer Show

Ash Parrish, a video game reporter at The Verge, joins the discussion with insights on recent Xbox layoffs and studio closures, highlighting the complexities of corporate decisions in gaming. The conversation shifts to the nostalgic charm of the latest Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 remakes, where they critique gameplay changes while celebrating the series' legacy. They also touch on the vibrant community spirit showcased at Summer Games Done Quick, balancing serious industry shifts with an appreciation for gaming culture.

John Carson, a former editor at Game Informer and freelance journalist, joins the discussion on the best video games of 2025. They highlight major titles like Mario Kart World and Monster Hunter Wilds, alongside indie gems such as Peak and Promise Mascot Agency. The conversation dives deep into innovative gameplay mechanics, exploring the whimsical narratives of games like Shotgun Cop Man and the engaging turn-based tactics of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Expect a lively exchange filled with recommendations and insights into the evolving gaming landscape!

Brian Shea, a Game Informer staff member, shares his firsthand experience with Borderlands 4 after visiting Texas for hands-on gameplay. He discusses innovative features like expansive open-world design and new character abilities. The conversation also dives into cryotherapy's surprising discomfort and the perks of subscribing to the magazine, which supports St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Furthermore, Shea critiques Death Stranding 2's narrative while exploring its visuals, highlighting both praise and concerns.

(00:00:00) Introduction (Special Guest Eric Van Allen) (00:06:00) SGF Previews - Lightning Round (00:06:27) End of Abyss (Section 9 Interactive) (00:07:24) Out of Words (Wired Fly, Kong Orange) (00:09:43) Sword of the Sea (Giant Squid) (00:12:19) Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Tribute Games) (00:14:33) Blighted (Drinkbox Studios) (00:19:02) Adventure of Samsara (Ilex Games, Atari) (00:23:04) Spine (Nekki) (00:26:57) Digimon Story: Time Stranger (Media Vision) (00:31:35) Lumines Arise (Enhance, Monstars) (00:36:14) Crimson Desert (Pearl Abyss) (00:48:49) Switch 2 Review Discussion (01:20:40) The Alters (11 bit studios) (01:32:31) Magic The Gathering x Final Fantasy (01:54:47) FBC Firebreak (Remedy) (02:12:19) Outro In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, returning guest Eric Van Allen (Axe of the Blood God, IGN, Normandy FM) joins us for a Nintendo Switch 2 review discussion, a wild survival management game called The Alters, and the cooperative first-person shooter Control spin-off, FBC Firebreak. Beforehand, we share even more of our favorite upcoming games we recently played at Summer Game Fest. The Game Informer Show is a weekly podcast covering the video game industry. Join us every Thursday for chats about your favorite titles – past and present – alongside Game Informer staff and special guests from around the industry.Subscribe to Game Informer's print magazine before the launch discount ends: https://www.gameinformer.com/subscribeFollow our hosts on social media:Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken)Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7)Charles Harte (@ChuckDuck365)Eric Van Allen (@Seamoosi)Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the video version, game reviews, and exclusive details on upcoming games: https://www.youtube.com/gameinformerFollow Game Informer on Social Media:https://www.instagram.com/gameinformermagazinehttps://bsky.app/profile/gameinformer.comhttps://x.com/gameinformerhttps://www.facebook.com/officialgameinformer/https://www.tiktok.com/@game_informer

(00:00:00) Introduction (00:05:41) Resident Evil Requiem hands-on (00:13:13) Pragmata hands-on (00:24:33) Alex played the Xbox Ally X handheld (00:37:34) Ninja Gaiden 4 hands-on (00:45:56) Morsels preview (00:52:52) Charles loves Mixtape (01:00:00) Introducing special guest Rogersbase (01:00:56) Nintendo Switch 2 reactions (01:09:18) Mario Kart World deep dive In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, we tackle 2025's biggest week yet. Not only did the Switch 2 launch and Summer Game Fest happen on the same week, but we relaunched our Game Informer magazine subscriptions, and can confirm our first issue will be out later this month! Hosts Alex Van Aken, Charles Harte, and Marcus Stewart also discuss their favorite games they played at Summer Game Fest (including Resident Evil Requiem, Ninja Gaiden 4, Pragmata, and Mixtape), and their hands-on impressions with Xbox's new handheld device.The trio is also thrilled to be joined by Rogersbase to discuss the Switch 2 launch, including his thoughts on the console, his favorite parts of Mario Kart World, his theories for Nintendo's 2025 plans, and his passion for Donkey Kong. Thanks for joining us, Roger! You can find him on YouTube and Twitch.Follow our hosts on social media: Alex Van Aken (@itsvanaken), Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), and Charles Harte (@chuckduck365).Thanks for resubscribing (or never unsubscribing)! We look forward to your feedback and to coming back. Click here to view our RSS feed.

Get ready for a nostalgic trip as hosts celebrate the return of a beloved gaming magazine and podcast. They share humorous tales, discuss the relaunch with improved content, and highlight new benefits for subscribers. Expect a playful dive into their experiences with celebrity sightings at gaming theme parks and chaotic pre-order adventures for the Nintendo Switch 2. With reflections on mental health and personal growth in the industry, this lively discussion promises joy, laughter, and a commitment to the future of gaming.

Alongside the rest of the magazine and website, The Game Informer Show podcast took an unexpected hiatus last year. We've been hard at work getting our feet back under us, making lots of behind-the-scenes efforts on the website, and working toward bringing back the physical magazine. It's kept us busy!But ahead of the magazine officially returning, Summer Game Fest activities, and the launch of Switch 2, we wanted to make sure we had an outlet to share our conversations and have you listen in. Alex Van Aken, Marcus Stewart, Charles Harte, and I have the first episode in the can where we talk about the shutdown and how it affected us, what we've been playing, and lots more.That episode isn't available quite yet, but we wanted to make sure you know where to subscribe to the show when the first episode drops on Friday, June 6.You can find some direct links below or watch a video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. You can also search for The Game Informer Show wherever you listen to podcasts.We're looking forward to your feedback!Follow the hosts:Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken)Kyle Hilliard (@KyleHilliard)Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7)Charles Harte (@ChuckDuck365)

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, our editor-in-chief, Matt Miller, joins Alex and Marcus to discuss why Marvel Rivals has grown on us and how it's shaking up the Overwatch formula. Next, the crew dives into some of July's best indie games, including Dungeons of Hinterberg, Arranger, and Thank Goodness You're Here — okay, that last one technically releases today, August 1st, but I played and beat it during July via a pre-release copy. Finally, Marcus dives into Silent Hill 2 (2001) and Forestrike, the follow-up to 2021's pixel art action title, Olija. Follow us on social media: Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), Kyle Hilliard (@KyleMHilliard), Charles Harte (@chuckduck365)The Game Informer Show is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join us every Thursday to chat about your favorite games – past and present – with Game Informer staff, developers, and special guests from around the industry. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.The Game Informer Show – Podcast Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro00:05:29 - Marvel Rivals Closed Beta00:31:27 - Thank Goodness You're Here!00:41:00 - Dungeons Of Hinterberg00:48:37 - Forestrike Preview00:59:31 - Silent Hill 2 (2001)01:14:27 - Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure01:21:37 - Housekeeping

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show podcast, we unpack our latest cover story on The Casting of Frank Stone! After that, Marcus Stewart dives into his time playing the cyberpunk noir detective game Nobody Wants to Die. Charles Harte discusses his early impression of Arranger, and Kyle breaks down his review of Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. Marcus also chats about his recent trip to Blizzard to play Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred's new Spiritborn class, and we round out the discussion with listener questions and a surprisingly long reflection on the 1995 film Powder.  Follow us on social media: Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), Kyle Hilliard (@KyleMHilliard), Charles Harte (@chuckduck365) The Game Informer Show is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join us every Thursday to chat about your favorite games – past and present – with Game Informer staff, developers, and special guests from around the industry. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Matt Storm, the freelance audio editor for The Game Informer Show, edited this episode. Matt is an experienced podcast host and producer who's been speaking into a microphone for over a decade. You should listen to Matt's shows like the "Fun" And Games Podcast and Reignite, a BioWare-focused podcast.  The Game Informer Show – Podcast Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:02 - Cover Story: The Casting of Frank Stone 00:24:52 - Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure 00:33:44 - Nobody Wants to Die 00:51:03 - Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Review 01:01:30 - Charles' Retro Console Corner 01:05:54 - Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred - Spiritborn Class Preview 01:14:56 - Housekeeping and Listener Questions

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show podcast, we're sharing our review-in-progress thoughts on two intriguing releases this week. First up, Wesley LeBlanc shares his initial impressions of Capcom's action/strategy/tower-defense hybrid Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. Marcus Stewart then dishes out his time slaying gods in the action souls-like Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. Kyle Hilliard unpacks his review of Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, and we also discuss playing the Concord beta and Zenless Zone Zero before answering some listener questions.  Follow us on social media: Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), Kyle Hilliard (@KyleMHilliard), Wesley LeBlanc (@LeBlancWes) The Game Informer Show is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join us every Thursday to chat about your favorite games – past and present – with Game Informer staff, developers, and special guests from around the industry. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Matt Storm, the freelance audio editor for The Game Informer Show, edited this episode. Matt is an experienced podcast host and producer who's been speaking into a microphone for over a decade. You should listen to Matt's shows like the "Fun" And Games Podcast and Reignite, a BioWare-focused podcast.  The Game Informer Show – Podcast Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:39 - Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess  00:22:19 - Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn  00:38:25 - Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition Review 00:47:09 - Concord Beta Test 00:59:05 - Zenless Zone Zero 01:10:33 - Housekeeping and Listener Questions