Show Notes
Expedition 33 genuinely reminded us why we love games — not because it's a massive AAA production, but because it has soul, smart systems, and feels like it was made by people who actually care. That kicked off a much bigger conversation: are we entering a quiet renaissance of great AA games? In this episode, we talk about how mid-budget games like Expedition 33 are doing what the big-budget blockbusters often don’t. These are games that respect your time, play great out of the gate, and remind you what makes gaming fun in the first place. We also look at how Game Pass, especially on PC, is quietly delivering some of the best value in gaming right now — from day-one drops like Indiana Jones and the Oblivion Remaster to upcoming hits like Doom: The Dark Ages. Xbox Series X, though? It might be feeling a little left behind. Subscribe to Lost Saves https://www.youtube.com/@lostsaves
Topics in this episode:
Expedition 33 and the rise of soulful AA games
Game Pass is quietly crushing it for PC players
Is the Xbox Series X already aging out?
Do you need to beat a game to truly appreciate it?
EA layoffs and why AAA development keeps struggling
The absurd state of mobile gaming in 2025
Our thoughts on the Marathon alpha and the direction of multiplayer FPS games
Timecodes: 00:00:00 Expedition 33 Is Incredible00:15:00 – The Rise of Great AA Games00:22:27 – Game Pass Is Quietly Delivering00:29:00 – Is the Xbox Series X Already Aging Out?00:40:39 – Do You Need to Beat a Game to Truly Appreciate It?01:01:45 – EA Layoffs & the AAA Struggle01:21:55 – The Wild State of Mobile Gaming
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dual-comm-podcast/id1781108219Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ls95EviV2hcBBnufcZ5ZESubscribe on iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/240902321Subscribe on Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5752977a-04fd-4198-b7e3-2a25665b98fc
More from Dual Comm Podcast
There's a lot of joy in going back to older games and putting sustained focus into them. In this episode of the Dual Comm podcast we talk about just. We talk about the main things that make those older games different, how to slow down, and a bunch of other things. We'll talk about Epos' Ayn Thor journey and his Pokemon mega playthrough along with some AI stuff, YouTube algorithm stuff, and a bit more. Thanks for listening or watching. 00:00 Intro03:36 Gaming News, AI & Steam Next Fest15:17 Going Back to PS2 and PSP17:38 The Algorithm Influence33:27 AI and the Future of YouTube56:45 The AYN Thor & Epos' Pokémon Journey1:09:39 Sustained Focus1:18:08 Old Games vs Modern Games Jampackd Magazine: https://jampackd.quest/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DualComm Pod-zine: https://glitch.mov/products/dual-comm-podzine-1-the-feelings-test Subscribe on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dual-comm-podcast/id1781108219Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ls95EviV2hcBBnufcZ5ZEiHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/240902321Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5752977a-04fd-4198-b7e3-2a25665b98fc Follow us on YouTube:@bbkdragoon | @EposVox | @lostsaves | @NeuroSpicy.Cooking
We are back discussing the epic Gamescom and State of Play announcments including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, the Songs of the Past new Witcher 3 expansion, and the new free Mario Kart 8 update that brings 8 player splitscreen for Switch 2 users along with other free enhancements. We discuss this trend of older games getting renewed support, expansions, and remasters and ask if more publishers should pursue this. Then we discuss Sony's new State of Play, what games we are excited about and then dive into a bit more discussion on the importance of consumer protections as they move into the all digital era. We talk Xbox's new disc to digital program, September game releases, and more. Thanks for listening. Show links: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/over-700-games-launched-on-steam-in-one-week-for-the-first-time-though-74-had-fewer-than-10-reviews https://www.msn.com/en-us/gaming/xbox/xbox-disc-to-digital-supports-delisted-games-too-here-s-every-title-that-works-so-far/ar-AA2bscYc https://www.flyingpenguin.com/doctorows-disinvention-of-the-vcrs-history/ Jampackd Magazine: https://jampackd.quest/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DualComm Pod-zine: https://glitch.mov/products/dual-comm-podzine-1-the-feelings-test 00:00 What We’ve Been Playing06:58 The Witcher 3’s Huge Gamescom Comeback15:09 Should Old Games Keep Getting New Content?25:51 Are Classic Gaming Franchises Making a Comeback?35:11 All Digital PlayStation...42:50 State of Play: Our Favorite Games52:04 September Is Absolutely Stacked54:50 Xbox Disc-to-Digital & The Future of Physical Games1:18:18 700 Games in One Week: Steam, Indies & Discovery Subscribe on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dual-comm-podcast/id1781108219Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ls95EviV2hcBBnufcZ5ZEiHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/240902321Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5752977a-04fd-4198-b7e3-2a25665b98fc Follow us on YouTube:@bbkdragoon | @EposVox | @lostsaves | @NeuroSpicy.Cooking
A lot has happened in gaming since our last show, so we had plenty to catch up on. We talk about our early impressions of Halo Campaign Evolved, Xbox’s massive restructuring, and why Sony moving away from physical games feels like such a breaking point. Epos also shares his surprisingly positive experience with the new Steam Machine, while we get into game ownership, preservation, and why convenience matters more to us as we get older. Plus, we talk Monster Hunter, older consoles, YouTube’s continued evolution, and plenty more along the way. Jampackd Magazine: https://jampackd.quest/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DualComm Pod-zine: https://glitch.mov/products/dual-comm-podzine-1-the-feelings-test 00:00:00 Intro & Jam-Packed Magazine00:03:56 Games of the Week00:6:08 Video of the Week: Sony and Physical Games00:7:22 Wind Waker, Pokémon FireRed & Emulation00:13:47 Steam Machine Impressions00:26:53 Xbox’s Reset & Bethesda Layoffs00:39:15 Sony’s All-Digital Future01:01:42 Is a Hobby Still a Hobby?01:05:08 Halo Campaign Evolved Impressions01:18:55 Sony’s Lost PlayStation Handheld01:20:47 Replaceable Batteries & the Original Switch01:24:07 Switch 2 OLED Rumors01:28:40 The Value of Older Consoles01:30:37 Convenience Over the “Best” Way to Play01:36:33 Monster Hunter Wilds & Capcom01:42:29 YouTube Algorithms & What Comes Next01:52:29 Outro Subscribe on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dual-comm-podcast/id1781108219Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ls95EviV2hcBBnufcZ5ZEiHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/240902321Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5752977a-04fd-4198-b7e3-2a25665b98fc Follow us on YouTube:@bbkdragoon | @EposVox | @lostsaves | @NeuroSpicy.Cooking
We really enjoyed the new State of Play, and in this special Dual Comm episode we recap the entire presentation and our thoughts on the games that were shown. Then we talk about friction free gaming, the one platform mindset update, and the Steam Deck pricing increases that just happened. Thanks for listening and have a great week!
This week we talk about Thronefall as our game of the week. Epos built the ultimate locked down laptop for a dialed family experience. We look at an amazing custom motherboard PS2 handheld. We discuss Sony moving away from PC releases for their first party singleplayer games. Then in the back half we discuss numerous gaming news items, along with our main topic, will gaming ever feel hopeful again. Thanks for watching! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DualComm Pod-zine: https://glitch.mov/products/dual-comm-podzine-1-the-feelings-test 00:00:00 Game & Video Of The Week00:18:30 Intentional Laptop For The Kiddo00:29:15 Handheld PlayStation 200:40:49 Looking At YouTube Studio00:45:10 PS5 No More On PC01:00:00 PS Plus Price Increase01:01:23 Plex Lifetime Pass $750...01:11:12 Steam Download Tab Update01:13:04 Helldivers 2 Tech Update01:17:25 Discord Gets End to end encryption01:19:19 Marathon Getting More PvE Support?01:24:33 Will Gaming Feel Hopeful Again? Show links: VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Hank Green “I just want to fix things”https://youtu.be/WnG6l7voITY GAME OF THE WEEK: Thronefallhttps://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/ Google Search Going Awayhttps://techcrunch.com/2026/05/19/google-search-as-you-know-it-is-over/ INSANE portable PS2 made with original chips but custom motherboardhttps://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/handheld-gaming/enthusiast-crams-reversed-engineered-ps2-into-a-handheld-designs-custom-motherboard-bespoke-playstation-2-portable-pairs-modern-features-with-original-silicon PlayStation Exec says PC releases are DONEhttps://bsky.app/profile/jasonschreier.bsky.social/post/3mm5jzsls5s2a PS+ Price Increaseshttps://x.com/playstation/status/2056404450793938989 Plex makes its lifetime license unaffordable, move to Jellyfinhttps://www.plex.tv/blog/new-lifetime-plex-pass-pricing/ Helldivers 2 is finally getting FSR/DLSS/Reflexhttps://store.steampowered.com/news/app/553850/view/666114279352566049 Discord updates Linux client, adds E2EE for video callshttps://discord.com/blog/every-voice-and-video-call-on-discord-is-now-end-to-end-encrypted Marathon getting PVE/story contenthttps://kotaku.com/marathon-reveals-an-ambitious-blueprint-for-making-it-a-game-more-people-want-to-play-2000696161