Friends Per Second

Joseph Fares, the game director behind the acclaimed co-op adventure It Takes Two and the newly released Split Fiction, shares his insights on the evolution of gaming and the importance of storytelling. He humorously discusses the challenges of balancing creativity with commercial pressures in game development. Fares emphasizes the unique cooperative elements of Split Fiction, which encourages players to collaborate across genres, and reflects on the joy of creating memorable gaming experiences that resonate with players.

Go to BUY RAYCON dot com slash friends to get 20% off the best-selling Everyday Earbuds! Brought to you by Raycon. BUY RAYCON dot com slash friends.--Timestamps:00:00 Intro12:01 What's Happening in the AAA Space?27:46 How to Use Video Game Reviews01:11:01 Raycon (ad)01:13:33 What We've Been Playing01:56:15 Show and Tell02:05:26 Wrap Up--If you wanna check out our brand new newsletter, you can do so here: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/Listen to the Friends Per Second Podcast on your favourite podcast platform: https://linktr.ee/friendspersecondSubscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendspersecond--Let's meet our hosts!- Jake Baldino (aka the Before You Buy Guy) is pretty much the most watched reviewer on YouTube across both Gameranx and his personal channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/JakeBaldino). If you're obsessed with Delorians, The Mummy and Pizza you can discuss that stuff with him directly over on Twitter: @JakeBaldino- Lucy James is a Senior Producer at Gamespot and a Creative Producer at Giant Bomb. She's actually, like, experienced and credentialed and has real life skills and stuff, while the rest of the gang would be funemployed if the YT algorithm didn't kiss them for random, inexplicable reasons. - Skill Up used to work at McDonalds but he got fired for skimming too many chicken nuggets. He says he regrets it since he hasn't had a better job since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Try Factor at FACTORMEALS.com/fps50off and get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. Thanks to Factor for sponsoring FPS!--This week we react to the Sony State of Play, take a deep-dive look at Avowed and chat with Jakub Szamałek, formerly a lead writer from CDPR who work on The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, and now the Narrative Director at Rebel Wolves, the studio comprised of former CDPR talent who just revealed their first game: Blood of the Dawnwalker. Great to have Alanah Pearce along for the ride, too. Note: This episode was recorded Wed 12th of Feb, 2025.--Timestamps:00:00 Intro with Guest Host Alanah Pearce08:37 Sony State of Play Recap46:55 Factor (ad)50:24 User Question 101:06:22 Interview with Rebel Wolves Narrative Director Jakub Szamałek01:42:26 User Question 201:48:03 What We've Been Playing02:17:16 Avowed Discussion02:56:27 Show And Tell03:08:33 Wrap Up--If you wanna check out our brand new newsletter, you can do so here: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/Listen to the Friends Per Second Podcast on your favourite podcast platform: https://linktr.ee/friendspersecondSubscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendspersecond--Let's meet our hosts!- Jake Baldino (aka the Before You Buy Guy) is pretty much the most watched reviewer on YouTube across both Gameranx and his personal channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/JakeBaldino). If you're obsessed with Delorians, The Mummy and Pizza you can discuss that stuff with him directly over on Twitter: @JakeBaldino- Lucy James is a Senior Producer at Gamespot and a Creative Producer at Giant Bomb. She's actually, like, experienced and credentialed and has real life skills and stuff, while the rest of the gang would be funemployed if the YT algorithm didn't kiss them for random, inexplicable reasons. - Skill Up used to work at McDonalds but he got fired for skimming too many chicken nuggets. He says he regrets it since he hasn't had a better job since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Head to https://buyraycon.com/friends to get up to 20% off sitewide for the perfect gift. Thanks to Raycon for sponsoring FPS!--Subscribe to the FPS Podcast Highlights channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@UC82taKHHS0vOY-b8r311Ijg --Timestamps:00:00 Intro08:37 Xbox Developer Direct Recap31:31 Sony News42:26 Assassin's Creed Shadows Thoughts01:05:20 Raycon (ad)01:08:13 User Question 101:16:17 User Question 201:23:17 Bigmode Discussion with Leah01:44:22 What We've Been Playing02:11:08 Show and Tell--If you wanna check out our brand new newsletter, you can do so here: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/Listen to the Friends Per Second Podcast on your favourite podcast platform: https://linktr.ee/friendspersecondSubscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendspersecond--Let's meet our hosts!- Jake Baldino (aka the Before You Buy Guy) is pretty much the most watched reviewer on YouTube across both Gameranx and his personal channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/JakeBaldino). If you're obsessed with Delorians, The Mummy and Pizza you can discuss that stuff with him directly over on Twitter: @JakeBaldino- Lucy James is a Senior Producer at Gamespot and a Creative Producer at Giant Bomb. She's actually, like, experienced and credentialed and has real life skills and stuff, while the rest of the gang would be funemployed if the YT algorithm didn't kiss them for random, inexplicable reasons. - Skill Up used to work at McDonalds but he got fired for skimming too many chicken nuggets. He says he regrets it since he hasn't had a better job since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Use our Displate code FRIENDS at checkout for exclusive discounts on your order at https://displate.com/@friendspersecond - Thanks to Displate for sponsoring FPS!--Try AG1 here http://drinkag1.com/FRIENDS and if you’re a new subscriber you’ll get a FREE Welcome Kit, a bottle of D3K2 AND 5 travel packs in your first box. Thanks to AG1 for sponsoring FPS!--Timestamps:00:00 Intro / Welcome Back! 13:18 Displate (ad)16:46 What We've Been Playing / Doing Over Break01:07:25 AG1 (ad)01:10:30 User Question Bonanza!01:43:52 Show and Tell01:55:22 Wrap Up--If you wanna check out our brand new newsletter, you can do so here: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/Listen to the Friends Per Second Podcast on your favourite podcast platform: https://linktr.ee/friendspersecondSubscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheFPSPodcastFollow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendspersecond--Let's meet our hosts!- Jake Baldino (aka the Before You Buy Guy) is pretty much the most watched reviewer on YouTube across both Gameranx and his personal channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/JakeBaldino). If you're obsessed with Delorians, The Mummy and Pizza you can discuss that stuff with him directly over on Twitter: @JakeBaldino- Lucy James is a Senior Producer at Gamespot and a Creative Producer at Giant Bomb. She's actually, like, experienced and credentialed and has real life skills and stuff, while the rest of the gang would be funemployed if the YT algorithm didn't kiss them for random, inexplicable reasons. - Skill Up used to work at McDonalds but he got fired for skimming too many chicken nuggets. He says he regrets it since he hasn't had a better job since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you wanna check out our brand new newsletter, you can do so here: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/--Let's meet our hosts!- Jake Baldino (aka the Before You Buy Guy) is pretty much the most watched reviewer on YouTube across both Gameranx and his personal channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/JakeBaldino). If you're obsessed with Delorians, The Mummy and Pizza you can discuss that stuff with him directly over on Twitter: @JakeBaldino- Lucy James is a Senior Producer at Gamespot and a Creative Producer at Giant Bomb. She's actually, like, experienced and credentialed and has real life skills and stuff, while the rest of the gang would be funemployed if the YT algorithm didn't kiss them for random, inexplicable reasons. - Skill Up used to work at McDonalds but he got fired for skimming too many chicken nuggets. He says he regrets it since he hasn't had a better job since. --Listen to the Friends Per Second Podcast on your favourite podcast platform: https://linktr.ee/friendspersecondSubscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheFPSPodcastFollow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendspersecond Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Higham, an IGN game reviewer known for his STALKER 2 insights, joins Frederick Thylander and Drew Rechner from Ubisoft Massive, who share plans to improve Star Wars Outlaws following its rocky launch. They discuss the importance of community feedback and revamping game mechanics to enhance player experience. Alanah Pearce adds her expertise, diving into the resurgence of handheld gaming and the evolving landscape of gaming technology. Insights on the future of franchises and player engagement make this conversation a must-listen!

Try AG1 here http://drinkag1.com/FRIENDS and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3+K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first subscription. Thanks to AG1 for sponsoring FPS!--This week we're joined by John Linneman of Digital Foundry to discuss the PS5 Pro. It's been out for a few weeks now so we wanted to check in on how it's been doing post launch, how the library of games is performing and guess what the future holds. Plus we're lucky enough to be joined by Yevhenii Kulyk of GSC Game World, who right now is putting the finishing touches on STALKER 2. We talk through the challenging road to launch, what players should expect on day one and what the future holds for both STALKER 2 and the studio. Timestamps:00:00 Intro05:15 PS5 Pro Discussion with John Linneman of Digital Foundry45:48 AG1 (ad)47:57 User Question 156:13 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Chat with Technical Producer Yevhenii Kulyk 01:12:20 User Question 201:20:55 What We've Been Playing01:59:01 Show and Tell02:12:09 Wrap Up--If you wanna check out our brand new newsletter, you can do so here: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/--Let's meet our hosts!- Jake Baldino (aka the Before You Buy Guy) is pretty much the most watched reviewer on YouTube across both Gameranx and his personal channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/JakeBaldino). If you're obsessed with Delorians, The Mummy and Pizza you can discuss that stuff with him directly over on Twitter: @JakeBaldino- Lucy James is a Senior Producer at Gamespot and a Creative Producer at Giant Bomb. She's actually, like, experienced and credentialed and has real life skills and stuff, while the rest of the gang would be funemployed if the YT algorithm didn't kiss them for random, inexplicable reasons. - Skill Up used to work at McDonalds but he got fired for skimming too many chicken nuggets. He says he regrets it since he hasn't had a better job since. --Listen to the Friends Per Second Podcast on your favourite podcast platform: https://linktr.ee/friendspersecondSubscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheFPSPodcastFollow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendspersecond Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Visit http://buyraycon.com/friends to get at least 15% of your purchase of the all new Everyday Earbuds. --This week we're joined by Paul Tassi of Forbes for a deep dive, spoiler free discussion on Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Paul liked it, Skill Up didn't, Lucy's kinda in the middle and Jake hasn't played it, so we cover a lot of ground from a lot of different perspectives. We're also joined by Ryan Payton, head of the studio that just put out the truly excellent Batman Arkham Shadow. He chats with us about his career, his thoughts on the VR industry and what it was like to follow in Rocksteady's footsteps. --Timestamps:00:00 Intro03:29 Dragon Age Discussion with Paul Tassi49:18 Raycon (ad)52:10 User Question58:38 Batman Arkham Shadow with Ryan Payton01:31:16 What We've Been Playing02:01:25 Show and Tell02:13:16 Wrap Up--If you wanna check out our brand new newsletter, you can do so here: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/--Let's meet our hosts!- Jake Baldino (aka the Before You Buy Guy) is pretty much the most watched reviewer on YouTube across both Gameranx and his personal channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/JakeBaldino). If you're obsessed with Delorians, The Mummy and Pizza you can discuss that stuff with him directly over on Twitter: @JakeBaldino- Lucy James is a Senior Producer at Gamespot and a Creative Producer at Giant Bomb. She's actually, like, experienced and credentialed and has real life skills and stuff, while the rest of the gang would be funemployed if the YT algorithm didn't kiss them for random, inexplicable reasons. - Skill Up used to work at McDonalds but he got fired for skimming too many chicken nuggets. He says he regrets it since he hasn't had a better job since. --Listen to the Friends Per Second Podcast on your favourite podcast platform: https://linktr.ee/friendspersecondSubscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheFPSPodcastFollow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendspersecond Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Try AG1 here http://drinkag1.com/FRIENDS and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3+K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first subscription. Thanks to AG1 for sponsoring FPS!--This week we do a spoiler free deep dive into Metaphor: Fantazio, and we're lucky enough to by joined by Jess Cogswell who reviewed the game for Gamespot (scoring it a perfect 10, no less). We're also joined by the one and only Shawn Layden, former President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Shawn is in Singapore for Gamescom Asia and shares his thoughts on not only the rapidly evolving South East Asian gaming market, but also the broader gaming industry as it confronts things like rising development costs, declining console sales and the chase for the next live service white whale. --Timestamps:00:00 Intro05:29 Ralph's TGS Wrap Up17:27 State of the Industry Chat with Shawn Layden 38:36 AG1 (ad)41:31 User Question51:13 Metaphor ReFantazio Chat with Jess Cogswell of Gamespot01:31:33 What We've Been Playing02:12:41 Show and Tell02:28:08 Wrap Up--If you wanna check out our brand new newsletter, you can do so here: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/--Let's meet our hosts!- Jake Baldino (aka the Before You Buy Guy) is pretty much the most watched reviewer on YouTube across both Gameranx and his personal channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/JakeBaldino). If you're obsessed with Delorians, The Mummy and Pizza you can discuss that stuff with him directly over on Twitter: @JakeBaldino- Lucy James is a Senior Producer at Gamespot and a Creative Producer at Giant Bomb. She's actually, like, experienced and credentialed and has real life skills and stuff, while the rest of the gang would be funemployed if the YT algorithm didn't kiss them for random, inexplicable reasons. - Skill Up used to work at McDonalds but he got fired for skimming too many chicken nuggets. He says he regrets it since he hasn't had a better job since. --Listen to the Friends Per Second Podcast on your favourite podcast platform: https://linktr.ee/friendspersecondSubscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date: https://friendspersecond.substack.com/Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheFPSPodcastFollow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendspersecond Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices