Mind Controllers

Slight Spoilers for: 

It’s the attack of the Brandons, coming at you for the first Scatterbrained of 2026! We briefly discuss the article of the week, recap Fantasy Critic from last year, and then dive into what we picked up and played over the Winter Break! Join us as we leap into the New Year!

Games we talked about this week:Ghost of Yotei, Megabonk, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Abiotic Factor, Nine Kings, Ship of Fools, Palworld, Split Fiction

Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now wri...

HEAVY Spoilers for and Roger, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Brandon and Joe finally come together again to discuss their Top 10 games from the year! Brandon gets pretty in his feels for this one, so be ready!

Timestamps:

Mind Controllers is on break for the next few weeks! Craw is traveling and then hosting some guests at his house. So hopefully we will return on December 19th!

Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesome site Brandon is now writing for! And check out his first review on and Roger here at this link and now 2nd review of Keeper!

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih...

Slight Spoilers for: Outer Worlds 2

It’s Brandon, Courture, and Tim back together again to talk about all the games we’ve been playing this week! Brandon and Courture talk about their time with Outer Worlds 2 and how it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations it sets for itself at the start of the game. And Tim tells us about his new foray into RTS games.

Games we talked about this week: and Roger, Keeper, Outer Worlds 2, Battle of Wesnot, Battletch

Check out https://www.startmenu.co.uk/ , an awesom...

Spoilers for: Pokemon Legends ZA

Memo returns and Joe joins us as we get the 3 biggest Pokemon fans we know in one podcast to discuss the latest entry by GameFreak! We chat about our likes and dislikes as life long Pokemon fans.

Games we talked about this week: Pokemon Go, Sleep, Legends ZA

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message u...

Spoilers for: Silksong, Digimon Story, and Before Your Eyes

Courture returns to chat about Silksong, one of his favorite games this year! Then we talk about our frustrations with Game Freak and Legends ZA, Nintendo’s grip on pricing, Xbox’s slow downfall, and end it with the return of the article of the week! It’s a doozy!

Games we talked about this week: Silksong, Digimon Story, Before Your Eyes, To The Moon, Dispatch

Article of the Week: Unraveling Grief: Design Space Analysis of Death-themed Games

If you ar...

HEAVY Spoilers for: Silent Hill f , Spoilers for Hades 2

Who’s this???! Courture joins us again after a long time away. And we are joined by a new friend, Tim!! Come hang out as we digest the ending of Silent Hill f, our love for Hades 2, and the vibrant Smash Melee community! Note: Courture’s audio got cut off towards the end so I edited around that 🙁

Games we talked about this week: Silent Hill f, Hades 2, Smash Bros Melee

Intro - 00:00:02

Silent Hill f (heavy Spoiler...

Spoilers for: Digimon Story: Time Stranger, Silent Hill f

Wow, it has been way too long! Joe and I give brief life updates before diving into everything that we’ve been up to lately, including loving Digimon. Thank you for being our friends!

Games we talked about this week: Digimon Story: Time Stranger, Borderlands 4, Silent Hill f, Megabonk, Dune Awakening

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Spoilers for: And Roger, Donkey Kong Bananza

Joe has returned from EVO 2025! Craw played several short indie narrative heavy games that made him feel things. Come hang out while we chat about why we cried for different reasons!

Games we talked about this week: Marvel Tolkon, Donkey Kong Bananza, Nightreign, Dead Take, And Roger, Peak 

Article of the Week: 

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.ni...

In typical fashion, we have overbooked ourselves a bit and were not able to line up our schedules this week. We are hoping next week we will get to tell you all about Joe's time at Evo 2025! Thank you again for your support!

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Joe and Craw are back and had a surprisingly fun time with the Horse Girl Gacha Game, Uma Musume?! We talk about Nintendo’s latest game: Donkey Kong Bananza, then dive into our disappointment with the latest Pokemon Presents. Come join us in this week’s salt factory!

Games we talked about this week: Death Stranding 2, Nen Impact, Donkey Kong Bananza, Uma Musume

Article of the Week: 

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resou...

Slight spoilers for Death Stranding 2

Joe and Craw are having a great time with Death Stranding 2! But first, we catch up on Monster Hunter Wilds and Nightreign’s latest bosses. And talk a bit about the wildest craze, a Horse Girl Gacha Game??? Come join us for the fun!

Games we talked about this week: Monster Hunter Wilds, Nightreign, Uma Musume, Death Stranding 2

Article of the Week: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartle_taxonomy_of_player_types 

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or...

Spoilers for Death Stranding

Today, Joe educated us all about Death Stranding’s first act, and how it portrays a world that desires to be connected, and what this means in a post covid world we now live in. Is Kojima a fortune teller?? Come listen and find out!!

Timestamps:

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to...

Slight spoilers for Nightreign, Fantasy Life, and Ballerina

Back from Summer Game Fest, and we have our Switch 2s! Joe and Craw discuss their experience with the Switch 2 and Mario Kart (spoiler, I’m not too sure we like it), then chat about some of the other games we’ve been playing. Sit down, chill out, and get ready to ease your mind!

Games we talked about this week: Mario Kart World Tour, Nightrein, Fantasy Life, The Alters

Article of the Week: 

If you are experiencing any sort of me...

We got a new State of Play this week, but also happy Switch 2 Release and Summers Game Fest!! Joe and Craw catch up with what games they’ve been playing after their Expedition 33 adventure, and then they dive into the news and their hype for all the new stuff coming out! 

Games we talked about this week: Nightrein, Fantasy Life, Fatal Fury

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

MAJOR SPOILERS for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33!!!

Joe and Craw have been absolutely obsessed with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and just had to talk about it. Join us as we dissect the amazing gameplay, enticing narrative, and how it all comes together for the final fight and post game. If you haven't played this game yet, please give it a try if you have gamepass. You do NOT want to miss this one!

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of...

Craw and Joe are back after a little break! We ease into it by just talking about the games (and maybe movies?) we’ve been enjoying this week. So our article of the week will return next week! Come chill with us as we talk about our current obsession: Expedition 33!

Games we talked about this week: Monster Hunter, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Article of the Week: 

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on...

Join Craw and Joe as we discuss an interesting article about video games improving cognitive function. Then, Joe tells us more about his time with Monster Hunter and Craw dives into his love and subsequent frustrations with Blue Prince! Also, no episode next week due to some scheduling conflicts!

Games we talked about this week: Monster Hunter Wilds, Split Fiction, Erenshor, Blue Prince

Article of the Week: Effects of Action Video Game Play on Cognitive Skills: A Meta-Analysis

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just...

Slight Mechanic Spoilers for Split Fiction

Craw and Joe start us off with an overview about an article that showed playing video games reduces stress! Then we discuss Monster Hunter Wilds and South of Midnight. Finally, we end it with some more Switch 2 updates! Hangout with us, we don’t bite!

Games we talked about this week: South of Midnight, Monster Hunter Wilds 

Article of the Week: Stress-Reducing Effects of Playing a Casual Video Game among Undergraduate Students

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or...

Craw and Joe start us off with an article about playing video games as a form of acting. Then we discuss the biggest event of the week: the Nintendo Switch 2 direct! Come listen to why Craw and Joe are so salty about the big direct.

Games we talked about this week: Monster Hunter Wilds 

Article of the Week: Character immersion in video games as a form of acting.

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of t...

Craw and Joe return to talk about an interesting Psych article about violent video games and social behavior. Then we catch up with the video games we’ve been enjoying this week! Lastly, we dive into a bit of Nintendo news happening this week. Did we get our predictions right? Come hang out with us during this journey!

Games we talked about this week: Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Monster Hunter Wilds

Article of the Week: The dark and bright side of video game consumption: Effects of violent and prosocial video games

If...

Craw and Joe are back and shaking things up! We first talk about an article that says it’s okay to play video games for long hours! Then we chat about our times with Pirate Yakuza, Avowed, a bit of Monster Hunter, and our thoughts on Split Fiction after being halfway through. Come hang out with us since it’s been a while!

Games we talked about this week: Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza, Avowed, Monster Hunter Wilds, Split Fiction

Article of the Week: Perceived value of video games, but not hours played, pred...

As some of you might know, I've been looking for a job. Fortunately, after 9 months of searching, I finally have one! Unfortunately, that means a lot less time in my schedule to work on the podcast. So, the schedules weren't able to align this week and we are taking a break for this week! Joe and Craw have been playing Split Fiction, in addition to more Avowed, and we will tell you all about it next week. Thank you so much for being a fan and listening!

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Spoilers for It Takes Two

Trigger Warnings: Divorce

Today we dive deep into It Takes Two, the award winning game of the year from 2021 that features the most extensive cooperative gameplay of any game we’ve seen. We chat about the foundations of Couples Therapy, what makes a strong relationship, and how the game  pivots our main characters, who are on the brink of divorce, into something more healthy. Come hang out with us as we talk about what makes this game so special from both a gameplay and therapeutic standpoint!

T...

Craw and Joe reunite to talk about Street Fighter League and this past weekend’s latest Fatal Fury beta. We then touch on Joe’s time with Pirate Yakuza, Craw’s debate over getting monster hunter, and speculate what occurred in the latest Pokemon Presents! We also touch on the (unfortunate) latest studio closures. We finish it up with an article on Problematic Video Game Use. So come hang out with us as we dive into games this week!

Games we talked about this week: Fatal Fury, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza, Monster Hunter Wilds, Avowed

Craw, Joe, and Courture have come together to have a more focused discussion on Monster Hunter Wilds! We chat about our history with the franchise, what defines Monster Hunter, our likes and dislikes of the game, and what to expect from Wilds! Then we chat a bit about the other games we’ve been playing and the news from this week!

Games we talked about this week: Monster Hunter Wilds, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Avowed, Elden Ring Nightreign

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to...

Spoilers for Thank Goodness You’re Here

Craw has been having a crazy time with Thank Goodness You’re Here, a silly game filled with British humor that feels more like watching a cartoon than playing a video game (not a bad thing)! Joe is back on his favorite genre with Romancing Saga Minstrel Song, and spending some time with Street Fighter. And we both played a decent amount of Monster Hunter Wilds Beta this past weekend. We also spoke a bit about the superbowl, and speculate what’s coming with the State of Play (which has no...

Spoilers for Metaphor Refantazio

Trigger Warnings: Racism

Today, we talk about the world of Metaphor Refantazio and how it creates and manipulates anxiety as a key part of its story. We then apply Affect Control Theory to our favorite antagonist, Louis, and how that shapes our view of him throughout the game.

Timestamps:

Spoilers for Bleach and Alan Wake 2

It’s Joe and Craw, talking about the games they’ve played this week! Joe tells us about his latest obsession, Bleach, and Mega64’s The Room. Craw discusses a new metroidvania, his time with Ninja Gaiden Black 2, and a bit about Eternal Strands. Then we chatted about the recent gaming news. Come hang out with us!

Games we talked about this week: Zenless Zone Zero, Final Fantasy Pixel Collection, Alan Wake 2, Silent Hill 2, Blade Chimera, Eternal Strands, Ninja Gaiden Black 2, 

Article of the Week: C...

HEAVY SPOILERS FOR METAPHOR REFANTAZIO

Joe and Craw teamed up to talk all about Metaphor ReFantazio, how much we loved it, and the impact some of the characters had on us.

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on the upcoming pod! Be sure to fol...

It’s the first Scatterbrained of the year! And we have the whole squad on. We sat down and chatted a lot about Marvel Rivals, and some other games that came out last year that we are still getting through, in addition to some initial thoughts on Dynasty Warriors: Origins. Couture also schools us on Squirrel Girl Lore. Come hang out with us during our first Scatterbrained of the year!

Games we talked about this week: Void Crew, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, Marvel Rivals, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, Romancing Saga 2, Stalker 2, For The King 2, Silent Hi...

We had a full house for this episode as the crew welcomed Memo to take part in the Fantasy Critics Draft. We all took turns choosing games we believe would rate well, made a few enemies along the way, and came out of it better people! Come listen to us as we try to build the best roster of video games coming out this year!

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/  Duration: 00:43:40

Spoilers for Before Your Eyes (2021)

Today, we finally discussed our favorite games we played this year in 2024! We tried to keep it spoiler free, but there might be a bit of story spoilers, especially for an older game that Craw played. Thank you all so much for joining this year, and we can’t wait to continue hanging out with everyone in 2025! Bonus unrelated story at the end of this pod!

Timestamps:

Slight spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

This week on Scatterbrained: Craw is flying solo this week! He tells us about his a bit lackluster time with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, then talks about a puzzle game he does like: Case of the Golden Idol. He also enjoyed Path of Exile 2, a new diablo-like game that's in early access. Lastly, he tells us his quick thoughts on some Switch 2 rumors and The Game Awards! This might be the last 

Games we talked about this week: Indiana Jones, Case of t...

This week on Scatterbrained: We're coming to you early take on The Game Awards! Joe tells us about his time learning about the Stalker lore, then goes into the fun of co-op Borderlands. Craw tells us about his time with puzzle games (ish?) Case of the Golden Idol and Indiana Jones. Then we end it by going through some of our favorite categories of the game awards! 

Games we talked about this week: Stalker 2, Borderlands, Metaphor Refantazio, Case of the Golden Idol, Marvel Rivals, Indiana Jones, Path of Exile 2, Romancing Saga 2

Article of t...

This week on Scatterbrained: It’s the Brandon duo! Courture chats about his current card obsession: Balatro. Craw played Case of the Golden Idol, an indie puzzle game that everyone was raving about when it was released a few years ago. And then we rant about our disappointment with Microsoft, Xbox, and Starfield

Games we talked about this week: Balatro, Legends of Runeterra, Metaphor Refantazio, Case of the Golden Idol, Starfield

Article of the Week: The psychology behind video games during COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of Animal Crossing: New Horizons

...

Slight spoilers for Metaphor Refantazio and Silent Hill 2

This week on Scatterbrained: The whole crew is back together again! We start off with Silent Hill 2 Remake then chat about Metaphor Refantazio as Joe wrapped it up last week and Craw is still going through it. Then Joe chats briefly about Romancing Saga 2. Courture ventures forth into Final Fantasy 14, the hit MMO with a memeable free-trial script. Finally, Craw talks a bit about Legends of Runeterra. We also touch on remakes, the game awards, and games journalism. Come hang out with us!

Games we...

This week on Scatterbrained: We have a short episode and Craw tells you all about Beastieball! Then we quickly chat about some gaming news headlines before sending you on your way :)

Games we talked about this week: Beastieball

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at our socials and we’ll respond to your question on...

This week on Scatterbrained: We are once again joined by Brandon Courture! Joe is out for the next couple of weeks, so Brandon and Brandon really give Scatterbrained’s title a run for its money. We chatted about our feelings on the current state of affairs in our country, Brandon Courture’s trip to Japan, and then finally some of the games we’ve been obsessed with this week. We close it out by sharing some of the recent news about the Mass Effect TV Series and Brandon Courture’s thoughts on Fallout. Come join us on this wild ride! Duration: 00:54:22

Spoilers for Metaphor: Refantazio through 2/3s of the game

This week on Scatterbrained: We cannot stop playing Metaphor: ReFantazio and we might be addicted. We also chat about Firewalk Studios unfortunately shutting down and more games journalism layoffs.

Games we talked about this week: Metaphor: ReFantazio, Pokemon TCG, Pokemon Go

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with s...

Spoilers for Metaphor Refantazio

This week on Scatterbrained: Craw is flying solo again this week and chats a bit more about Metaphor: ReFantazio. Then, we discuss Nintendo’s latest Playtest demo leak and one of the best Metroidvanias did not meet sales expectations

Games we talked about this week: Metaphor: ReFantazio, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

F...

Spoilers for Persona 3 Reload and DLC

Today we talk about Persona 3 Reload and DLC, and how the silent protagonist is an agent for the player. Joe also touches on the themes of Persona 3 and how it deals heavily with death, grief, and purpose.

Timestamps:

Spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

This week on Scatterbrained: We are once again joined by Brandon Courture! Courture tells us about his upcoming trip to Japan, then tells us about the now PvE focused Legends of Runeterra. Joe and Craw talk about The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and a bit about Craw’s annoyances with the game.

Games we talked about this week: Legends of Runeterra, Tekken 8, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

https://goodgamergroup.com/

Echoes of Wisdom Speedrun: https://ww...

Spoilers for Persona 3 Reloaded DLC and Metaphor ReFantazio Demo

This week on Scatterbrained: We are joined by a special guest, Brandon Courture! Brandon tells us about his time with Warhammer 40k Space Marines 2. Joe tells us more about Street Fighter’s latest character and how P3R DLC wraps up. And Craw talks about his time with the Metaphor: ReFantazio demo and how it explores classicism and racism, and psychology within this fantasy setting. Then we dive into some more Nintendo patent news and Ubisoft delaying Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Games we talked abou...

Spoilers for Persona 3 Reloaded DLC And Star Wars Outlaws!

This week on Scatterbrained: Joe talks about his time with Persona 3 Reload, the interesting post game of Castlevania:Circle of the Moon. Brandon talks about his time playing Star Wars Outlaws and is enjoying it enough, and dipped into Fortnite?!. Then we discuss some of the exciting announcements from Sonic Central, Level 5, and Playstation’s State of Play!

Games we talked about this week: Persona 3 Reload DLC, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon,Star Wars Outlaws, Fortnite

If you are experiencing any so...

Spoilers for Persona 3 Reloaded DLC!

This week on Scatterbrained: Joe tells us about his poor fight stick controller and some fighting games, in addition to P3R. Brandon wraps up and platinums Astro Bot and loves this game! Then we talk about all the crazy video game news that happened this week!

Games we talked about this week: Marvel Vs. Capcom Collection, Persona 3 Reload DLC, Astro Bot, Star Wars Outlaws

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact...

This week on Scatterbrained: Joe tells us about Castlevania Collection and Zenless Zone Zero. Brandon chats about his time with Astro Bot, and his time with Fields of Mistria. Then, we quickly discuss the PS5 Pro announcement and wonder what Sony is thinking?!

Games we talked about this week: Castlevania, Zenless Zone Zero, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Astro Bot, Fields of Mistria 

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3

Trigger Warnings: Murder, Abuse, Revenge

Today we talked about Astarion from Baldur’s Gate 3, and his reactions after finally achieving the revenge he had sought for centuries.

Timestamps:

Tracks are:

 "Screen Saver" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by...

This week on Scatterbrained, Joe is still recovering. So, let’s continue to send him some well wishes! Brandon chats about his time with Fields of Mistria, a cozy farming sim that feels easier to get into than Stardew Valley. Then I quickly cover some of the highlights from Gamescom 2024!

Games we talked about this week: Fields of Mistria

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Fee...

This week on Scatterbrained, Joe was unfortunately unable to make it today. So, let’s all send him some well wishes! Brandon chats about his time with Dungeons of Hinterberg, a beautiful and cozy indie action adventure game that is quite unique in its story.

Games we talked about this week: Dungeons of Hinterberg, 2XKO 

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us w...

Spoilers for Venba

This week on Scatterbrained, we we catch up on Joe’s progress with Ashen. Then, chatted about all of the indie games Brandon has been playing this week. We finally close it out with some quick thoughts about Deadpool and Wolverine!

Games we talked about this week: Ashen, Zenless Zone Zero, Fighting Games, Fall Guys, Dungeons of Hinterberg, Venba, Kunitsu-Gami, Flock

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://ww...

Today we talked about Evo 2024, the largest fighting game tournament hosted in Vegas. Then we dive deeper into the psychology of competition and how it applies to fighting games and esports!

Timestamps:

Tracks are:<...

Spoilers for Elden Ring DLC

This week on Scatterbrained, Brandon did a solo show this week due to some scheduling conflicts and talked about his time with finishing Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Then he chatted a bit about some news headlines. What indie game should I play?

Games we talked about this week: Elden Ring

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

F...

This week on Scatterbrained, we chatted about Elden Ring and Brandon’s time with Shadow of the Erdtree (spoiler alert: he loves it), then Joe talks about his time with Zenless Zone Zero, playing ranked matches in Street Fighter 6, and his time playing Ashen. By the time you hear the pod, Joe will be at Evo!! 

Games we talked about this week: Elden Ring, Zenless Zone Zero, Street Fighter 6, Ashen, Undertale

Tracks are:

 "We Decide" by Tatami

Podcast Art by @_forza_art on Instagram

If you...

This week on Scatterbrained, we talk about some interview questions that were sent over by the IG account: Video Game Journalist. They want to know a bit more about what we do, and asked us plenty of fantastic questions about video games, psychology in games, and cozy games! We then quickly catch up on the games we’ve been playing this week.

Games we played this week: Elden Ring, Zenless Zone, Zero, Paper Mario Thousand Year Door, Ashen 

Tracks are:

 "We Decide" by Tatami

Night in Kyoto by AVBE...

Spoilers for Silent Hill: The Short Message and God of War: Ragnarok

Trigger Warnings: Suicide and Death.

Come on in and sit down as we talk about Silent Hill: The Short Message and its heavy use of traumatic events without saying too much about it. We also chatted about God of War: Ragnarok, and how Kratos’ life is reflected and analyzed in the latest DLC, Valhalla. 

Other games we played: Street Fighter 6, Elden Ring

Timestamps:

Spoiler warning for Persona 3 Reload, and Hunter x Hunter

This week on Scatterbrained, we chat about what we’ve been playing this week, and surprise, it’s more fighting games (among other things)! Unfortunately, there were some complications with the recording and part of Joe’s recording is missing. So please excuse the gaps! Joe finished up Persona 3 Reloaded and gives his thoughts on the game as a whole. He then talks about the upcoming fighting tournament, CEO, and his experience with fighting games. Then Brandon talks about a new Elden Ring playthrough, and briefly chats about...

Spoiler warning for Inside Out 2!

This week on Scatterbrained, Joe is back and healing up.  We chat about the games we've been playing now, all the exciting Nintendo direct announcements, and more!

Games we played this week: Persona 3 Reloaded, Paper Mario Thousand Year Door, Elden Ring, Dungeons and Degenerates Gambler

Other Topics: Baby Reindeer, The Boys, Manga (One Piece and Boruto), Inside Out 2

Tracks are:

 "Screen Saver" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Show Notes:

Welcome to the first episode of Scatterbrained, our new weekly side pod where we chat about what games we’ve been playing, and any other media we’ve been enjoying! Unfortunately, Joe is out due to some recent dental work, but he will be back soon!

Games we played this week: Flintlock, Parcel Corps, I Am Your Beast, Once Human, Lost Castle 2, Tiny Glade, Alan Wake 2

Tracks are:

 "Screen Saver" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/l...

Spoilers for Alan Wake Remastered and Tales of Kenzera

Trigger Warnings: Death

Today we talk about Alan Wake and his struggles with psychosis and delusions. We also chatted about Tales of Kenzera, and how that game prepares the player/main character for death by helping others through their own experiences with loss.

Other games we played: Persona 3 Reload, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Street Fighter 6, Paper Mario Thousand Year Door, Silent Hill: The Short Message, 

Timestamps:

Spoilers for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Trigger warning: Mentions of suicide and death, and abuse

Today we talk about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the highly anticipated sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake. We chat about Tifa Lockhart and Red 13, and dive deeper into these characters and how their childhood has affected who they are today. 

Other games we played: Persona 3 Reload, Guilty Gear Strive, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Balatro, Before Your Eyes, Tales of Kenzera

Timestamps:

Huge Spoilers for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Trigger Warning: Death

Today we talk about Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, a game that swept us off our feet and we fell in love with. We might be mourning the end of this game and using this pod as therapy. We chat about Kiryu and where he is in life in terms of Life Stages, and then discuss how Ichiban’s resilience and positivity gets him through every hardship. After we’re done gushing about this game, we chat about what else we’ve been playing!

Trigger warning: Death

This episode we do a deep dive into The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, a controversial sequel to the hit game Ocarina of Time. We explore the World and how the people world is linked in one interconnecting system, and then talk about how the game represents the 5 stages of grief. Then we chat about games we’re playing now!

Other games discussed: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Earth Defense Force 5, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Helldivers 2

Timestamps:

Trigger Warning: Suicide and Murder of Fictional Characters

Today we talk about Dead Space and its Remake, an action-horror game where you play as Isaac Clarke as he explores the wrecked space ship called the Ishimura. We take a look at Isaac and his mental well being while experiencing this traumatic event in real time, some of his treatments, and then talk a bit about horror game design. Then we chat about what games we’re enjoying now!

Timestamps:

Show Notes:

Trigger Warnings: Suicide, Murder

Welcome to our first episode of Mind Controllers! In today’s episode, we chatted about Persona 5 Royal, a JRPG that was released back in 2019 that has made a profound impact on our love for Psychology and Video Games. We gave a bit of description about the game and some of the Psychology concepts within the game, then dove deep into 2 specific characters: Goro Akechi and Takuto Maruki. Side note - we had to record remotely and he had to change microphones towards the end, so the sound is a bi...

Today we talk about Final Fantasy 7 Remake, a highly anticipated remake to the hit JRPG Final Fantasy 7. We explore the background of some of our favorite characters, including Cloud, Zack, Barret, and Aerith, and discuss how this motivates their actions as we see them in the events of this game. Then we chat about what games we’re enjoying now!Timestamps (some may be off)! :FF7 Remake Description - 01:44Cloud Strife - 10:23Barret Wallace - 26:57Zack Fair - 45:00Aerith Gainsborough - 1:00:43What We've Been Playing - 1:19:36Tracks are:

 "Screen Saver" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Com...

Welcome to Mind Controllers, a podcast about shining the light on the Psychological aspects behind some of our favorite video games! We both play a lot of games and have our MA in Clinical Psychology. So, we figured we put that degree to use and combine two of our passions! We hope you enjoy listening to us chat about interesting backgrounds to some of our favorite characters and video games, and maybe learn something new in the process. Come on in, have a seat, and rest your mind!

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