Nintendo Directly Shadowed by FF VII Rebirth - Easy Allies Podcast - Feb 23, 2024

Ep 411 - We recap the fabled Nintendo Direct with its Xbox titles and shadow drops, share our hands-on thoughts on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and check out the Elden Ring DLC trailer. Plus, impressions on Ultros, Pacific Drive, Bloodworth's trip to DICE, and more.
0:00 - Intro
2:16 - The Wrong Question
5:01 - Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase
1:00:02 - The Four Xbox Multiplatform Games
1:02:30 - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Impressions
1:24:57 - Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
1:33:55 - Ultros Impressions
1:48:38 - A Word From Our Sponsors
1:50:22 - Pacific Drive Impressions
2:08:30 - Bloodworth at DICE
2:30:35 - Also This Week
2:40:51 - L&R: Beautiful Consoles, Ugly Consoles
2:47:39 - L&R: Wait for GTA?
2:56:46 - L&R: Late Coming Expansions
2:59:12 - Bets
3:04:25 - Closing
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[@gabriellecamara8453]

really appreciate the section about DICE and Blood's insight on what's happening around devs. this industry deserves so much better.

[@TheSSJSnoop]

Cyberpunk 2077 came out for PS4 and Xbox One on December 10th 2020, and on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X on February 15th 2022.

[@V.II.]

Body is shaking for final fantasy 7 rebirth. My soul is ready. I'm just trying not to die before release date

[@comradestannis]

Body is Reggie

[@313gwar]

Lol, reminds me of that Reddit thread about people having panic attacks due to them worrying about dying before being able to play Elden Ring.

[@jantzenjones9]

I know right haha

[@InnerRise]

​@@313gwarstop 💀😭

[@elementInfinitium]

Huber was right and Blood was wrong about Cyberpunk not having a PS5 version on release. Blood's so stubborn though 😂 #bootsontheground Edit: that PS4 version was brutal, even on my PS5. It crashed during my first credit roll.. THE CREDITS!! Where nothing was happening except for some flashy lights and a text scroll lmao

[@bejisan1]

Played the PS4 game on the PS5 at launch. And boy I am glad I did, regarding bugs I still had.

[@EasyAllies]

Ha ha, yeah it's funny how something you followed so closely can still eventually get jumbled up in your head. But yes, Huber's boots on the ground indeed. I was on the PC version. -Bloodworth

[@nicodemus82]

Don’t sleep on Unicorn Overlord. I guarantee it’s gonna be one of the games of the year. If you’re a fan of strategy RPG’s go give the demo a try. It gives you a nice big chunk of the game (around 7hrs).

[@rh8306]

Judging by the demo, how does it compare to 13 Sentinels? With combat seemingly the forefront in UO, I fear the narrative will take a dip, which was the main hook for me in Aegis Rim.

[@skytrot]

@@rh8306obviously this is just speculation as the full game has not come out, but you probably won’t get a story as engrossing and masterful as 13 Sentinels since George Kamitani, the founder of Vanillaware, spent many many years writing the script of that game. That’s not to say the story of Unicorn Overlord won’t be good or excellent because it very well can be(OdinSphere and GrimGrimoire had really good stories too IMHO), but you can tell that the gameplay was the main priority and focus in this game and it shows as it’s IMHO the most polished and deep strategy game that they’ve made.

[@rh8306]

@@skytrot I appreciate the insight! I’ll be sure to lower my expectations regarding the narrative, in favour of a deeply tactical… uhh… game. I don’t know, I haven’t seen any gameplay haha. Still, I always said that if it’s Vanillaware, I’ll support it.

[@nicodemus82]

@@rh8306 yeah, I’d definitely say the narrative is nowhere near on the same level as 13 Sentinels. There’s been no big plot twists or revelations in those first 7hrs I’ve played. It’s all pretty much standard fantasy stuff. That being said, I’m still intrigued and enjoying it. The characters are interesting and feel like they have some depth at least. Gameplay is definitely the focus here and it’s surprisingly much more in depth than I initially thought it would be. I’d say if you enjoy strategy RPG’s like Ogre Battle etc you’ll really be into this. If youre only in it for the story I think you’ll probably feel it’s a step back from what 13 Sentinels delivered.

[@rh8306]

@@nicodemus82 Oh, I can certainly enjoy games that lack narrative depth, so long as I manage my expectations beforehand. I simply expected a story-driven game from Vanillaware as 13S was my first and only game by them, especially considering the mech gameplay in that felt more like a simple pace breaker than a fully-realised implementation. Cheers!

[@theredshadow401]

Pacific Drive - Sur-drive-al game? Has anyone used that one yet?

[@aaronbobko7040]

I used to show up for Huber and Bosman but overtime I’ve really come to love bloodworth, I appreciate his comedic timing and observations

[@tuliobednarczukpecinemisko5606]

2:14:00 "its a cassino" Huber reaction was so genuine!

[@DRWii]

"If you want the best version of an Atlus game, wait 12 to 18 months." Yeah, no, they rarely put out a new version THAT fast, and the last time they did was over a decade ago. Their last second version was Tokyo Mirage Sessions Encore at just over 4 years, the last one with MAJOR changes was P5 Royal at just over 3 years, and now Vengeance is coming out just over 2 and a half years after SMT V. So if you only want to play the second version, you generally want to wait 3 to 5 years (or 36 to 60 months). Emphasis on "generally."

[@marianocastro7599]

I mean companies always do that. I mean there a new iphone every year.why wouldnt they sell a game plus version I mean they ( easy allies ) have bought some games in multiple times for different consaole. I just think its funny

[@ChichiNaka]

@@marianocastro7599 Because everything in Royal would be perfectly fine in a $25-$30 DLC, games like assassins creed or witcher 3 add more with their DLC packs and don't try resell you the entire game at full price. People just let atlus be gross

[@Entropic_Alloy]

Damiani is right about Penny's Big Breakaway, but for a completely different reason. That game launched with so many bugs and issues that really hurt it.

[@GeoffU]

Great show

[@marcorocha88]

Thanks, Huber. For being the real hype man we need. Love for my soul is always the way.

[@alphan1877]

What did you guys think about the card game Queen’s Blood in FF7Rb?

[@iamjoehill]

4 more days I cannot wait

[@313gwar]

So exited for SW battlefront remasters. 2 is one of my most played games ever.

[@kyleskoye3615]

Contra is back Baby :) Such a great year for games

[@hododod246]

1:29:11 I think completion will be 40 to 50 hours. So excited about Elden Ring dlc. My most anticipated game for the year. Elden Ring became my favorite game and comfort game. Still playing regularly. I think From Software is the best dev studio of the modern gaming.

[@hododod246]

52:10 you cannot scuba dive alone for safety reasons

[@jafar257]

Do you guys have any attention covering Unicorn Overlord? I saw no previews from you guys and I hoping you don’t skip this game. This game is something special and I want to see get exposure as much as possible.

[@richardmurray2078]

Nobody who is left cares about Vanillaware games or SRPGs (outside of Fire Emblem and Valkyria Chronicles, I guess), that would have been Ben or maybe Brad.

[@jafar257]

Thats very sad to hear, the demo for Unicorn Overlord was soooooooo good...Vanillaware made truly special game here, it shame to see gets overlooked.@@richardmurray2078

[@skytrot]

@@richardmurray2078this. Huber is showing “hype” for this game, but it definitely feels forced and not genuine considering his actual history and relationship with Vanillaware. Damiani is a strange one because while he dabbles in SRPGs, he seems to have really bad takes and opinions on them. Also doesn’t help that he prefers to play them on a easier difficulty settings.

[@battlep0t]

Yeah Ben was a huge champion of Vanillaware back when he was still here - he talked about 13 Sentinels for weeks.

[@ingueferroque]

Surprised Gundam Breaker 4 just got a brief mention. That was a special announcement.

[@Julio3324]

Huber: Before memes were even a thing! Blood: That's not true Gave me a good laugh 😂 L&R!

[@crossingtheline2189]

Incredible pod name this week

[@paulsmith9192]

Guess was records before,little devil inside trailer?

[@MassiveScore]

They recorded the day after the trailer came out

[@paulsmith9192]

@MassiveScore surprised they didn't talk about it.

[@matthewvandeleest8095]

So excited for this game to show up.

[@ryvetted]

Thank you❤

[@NoctLightCloud]

can't wait, a few days before Rebirth drops!

[@dreamer6737]

Square Enix is on 🔥 right now. Loved FF16, FF14 continues to be amazing with new expansion soon and now a 10/10 FF7 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@terencefitzgerald1693]

I don't even want a discount for the upgraded SMT/Persona. I just wish the saves from the first game would still work. That way you don't have to start over again.

[@LordlyWeeb]

I don't have a problem with the Atlus re-releases because I pretty much always enjoy the base game releases, so I don't view them as incomplete products like some people do. Then I get to play an even better version of a game I already enjoyed 2 and a half-3 years later.

[@MG_Gambino]

Same, as I'm currently playing smt5 now. My only problem with Atlus is them not letting me carry over anything. As an rpg nut, I dont mind replaying games because I tend to min-max them as well. I like to enjoy my games thoroughly before moving on to the next, ya know, get the bang for my buck. I mean, even then, it's hard for me to call a 70-80 hour game incomplete especially if said game has an end. That being said, it will feel good to play this on the ps5/Xbox cause the switch is kinda wonky.

[@finalfantasy9142]

FF VII rebirth 🎉🎉🎉

[@bejisan1]

I know, right. 3 and a half days.... 😁

[@sneakydoodle]

DUST 514 mentioned

[@Blackbear22]

A good Star Wars shooter or battlefront game, or one like it could be, if done right, absolutely massive. For reference 2015 battlefront sold 50 million copies.

[@WestGaul12]

$60 CAD for DLC..... that hurts. But I'm absolutely buying it.

[@daviddinenna1157]

Damiani been hitting the gym 💪💪

[@skytrot]

Sega and Atlus might just be the third party publisher that puts out the most amount of bangers this year. Infinite Wealth, P3Reload, Unicorn Overlord, SMTV Vengeance and Metaphor ReFantazio. George Kamitani’s own project might also be revealed and announced later this year and Vanillaware’s games are usually published by Atlus nowadays.

[@Anglerbe]

1:25:42 Huber jokes but remember the Dark Souls 1 dlc and how opaque it is to access

[@rickytan123]

is Isla IN a waterslide?!

[@charoleawood]

D.I.C.E. discussion was the best part of this week's ep, I loved it. To recap, when going to DICE remember to: --- Join in discussions between people you already know talking to those you don't already know --- Make circles of the room to find such groups --- Participate in the communal breakfasts and lunches; 8 AM is NOT too early, that's prime schmoozin' time --- Have throat lozenges handy if only to wet your whistle, gabbing is hard work on the ol' wind pipe

[@ChichiNaka]

damn is damiani brolic now? its never too late💪💪💪

[@DerkaDerkaMuhammondJihad]

M.A.G was the greatest multiplayer game ever made

[@l90316]

1:21:59 Challenge accepted.

[@planzproductions2631]

Love and respect but I never thought there was any possibility of switch 2 this year. Based on all the rumors it didn’t seem like there were enough dev kits in the wild to have anything ready for the launch. Damiani gets Nintendo drunk sometimes (“switch pro is so real”)

[@HolyJonte]

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth hype. GameTrailers Remake Reaction is still THE best reaction video of all time! ❤️

[@tracefetherman]

Sketchy bets!!! SKETCHY BETS DUUUUUuuude!

[@praisetheoak]

Shadow of the Erdtree is officially an expansion (closer to a sequel) and about the same size as the base game (60gb on Steam). While I do try to keep expectations in check, I think it's safe to assume it'll be at least 20hr of main content, up to 40/50hr with all of the side stuff included. It's going to be more dungeon focused too, with more hand-crafted levels/dungeons more seamlessly integrated into the open-world, so it'll be closer to Bloodborne's level design this time around.

[@LeepeNipe32]

60gb IN TOTAL, base game included. I'm surprised how many people are confused by this.

[@praisetheoak]

@ipe32 No, the base game alone is 60GB total on Steam. Until further information is revealed, the official size of the expansion is close to 60gb as stated in the Steam/Bandai store official pages, although it may be end up being half the size (30gb).

[@mum-your]

@@praisetheoak no base game alone isnt 60 gb, its 48 gb. i have it installed on steam

[@roseforyoubabe]

like a dragon infinite wealth persona 3 reloaded final fantasy rebirth helldivers 2 then stellar blade sony been hitting out of the park in 2024 switch been non existent

[@immortalart959]

FF7 Rebirth the Greatest game ever

[@LordDrakath]

Boy, i was not expecting that opinion to Epic Mickey from Huber, i'm shocked.

[@anthonydevetis7221]

Yeah interesting. I guess there was a reason I didn’t play it back then but I still feel like this might be a good swimming in 7s regardless of Huber saying it’s worse than that

[@MassiveScore]

Huber has been in his hater arc for quite a while

[@Echo__plex]

​@@MassiveScore Or maybe he just doesn't like the game? How does that make him a hater?

[@anthonydevetis7221]

@@Echo__plexno he’s been a lot more pessimistic recently

[@calamityyy]

Will GTA 6 come out later on PC compared to consoles? There's no way I'm buying a console just for GTA 6

[@unitedcamos]

It will be 2 years later on pc as gta5 If not more due to the massive scale of the game.

[@calamityyy]

@@unitedcamos How do you know?

[@unitedcamos]

@Calamityyy I don't know for sure, just taking into account what happened with gta 5

[@ChichiNaka]

@@unitedcamos And red dead, I don't think its the 'scale of the game' though they just like double dipping

[@grantlawrence4600]

Unicorn Overlord. Don't pass this game up. The demo is something special.

[@charoleawood]

41:27 I recommend New Super Lucky's Tale, I think it's an excellent 3D platformer with a fun digging mechanic. 'Tis on game pass.

[@paulsmith9192]

I never cared how a console looked.I bought them regardless,because I'm a gamer

[@Obscho]

Damiani's point about Penny's Big Breakaway being overshadowed by Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is so out of his bubble. No doubt, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will sell well (probably a bit better than FF16), but not everyone has a PS5 and Penny's Big Breakaway came out before the release of Rebirth (I get my copy maybe in 2-3 days) - so if the game does well or not, it won't be because of FF Rebirth - FF7R is not Call of Duty.

[@skytrot]

I honestly don’t know if I believe anything Huber says anymore. This is not me trying to dunk on him, but I remember so very clearly him saying he disliked and hated 13 Sentinels on a podcast or group stream once. Not to mention he has never rated Dragon’s Crown as one of the GOAT side scrolling beat ‘‘em ups and has never mentioned that he has even played GrimGrimoire Once More. And now he is endorsing Vanillaware like they have always been one of his faves just seems so odd, as if he is trying to fill that hype void left by Brad, who was the only one who was 100% onboard when Unicorn Overlord was first announced.

[@ARadicalDream]

Not really. Unicorn Overlord and SMT V: Vengeance are way better.

[@roseforyoubabe]

no dlc no matter how good will ever be a candidate for game of the year

[@Kyle-Marxluxia]

I really don't understand the mentality of most FromSoftWare/Elden Ring fans at all. Elden Ring is a phenomenal game and deserved to win GOTY when originally released. But to say a DLC should be GOTY is just beyond stupid

[@hododod246]

Blood and wine got goty nomination if I am not mistaken. And it kinda depends how the rest of the year look like. So far Like a Dragon and FF7 Rebirth seems to be obvious choices.

[@rh8306]

Shadow of the Erdtree > _Anything else this year_

[@TylerNessss]

1:47:00... sounds like Mickey to me mate. There is just nothing really interesting about that mouse. Its just an iconic character, because its associated with Disney. Frkn boring ass character imo.

[@JLamminator]

First

[@Echo__plex]

Congrats bro

[@anthonydevetis7221]

Huber along with Bosman is one of the main reasons I started with easy allies in the beginning but Huber has been kinda bringing me down as of late. I know he is a person and is allowed to have shit days weeks and months but damn lately his takes have been so pessimistic when it’s kind of uncalled for. It’s all opinions at the end of the day but from the epic Mickey thing all the way to not shutting up about the price to an Elden ring dlc being $40 (which is likely to have the value of a standalone $70 game and be at least 30-40 hours) Idk Huber either needs to chill a little more and come to grips with reality or take a break. It feels like he’s running on steam

[@tonatiuhabrego1310]

Maybe it's because I'm not a GTA fan but I feel like Huber talks too much about GTA, in general. Bringing it up when the Switch 2 was the topic felt forced and unfocused. I LOVE Huber and his passion (and I'd probably do what he does about Tekken 8 in conversation) but GTA being thrown in ad nauseum fees unappealing as a listener.

[@walteravila4072]

I dont get the hate to SMT V, is not like Persona 5, the game was only on SWITCH and looks so bad, a PC version was a no brainer.

[@EasyAllies]

No hate whatsoever. Those games are just so long I'm not likely to play them again anytime soon. So in a way I'm actually glad I missed it the first time, and yeah, it will definitely benefit from being on new platforms. -Bloodworth

[@DarkNessBear]

Could Isla be permanent host? Love Blood, but Isla has great host energy.

[@onelead]

Not for Me _ awesome Support but then Huber would be my 1st pic

[@isaiahjolin7178]

Hello Easy Allies my name is Isaiah and I have something important to say to you. God loves you and like any father he wants to help you and keep you safe especially from the devil. But I am not just speaking to you about this I am also talking to your fans about this. God loves you all and especially in the times we our living in we are in need of him more than ever. But the choice is ultimately yours have a nice day Shalom Shalom.

[@DCGX]

May I get that, in writing, from God?