Gears of War

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Hello, everyone, and welcome back to The Other Castle.

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The Other Castle, this is the podcast where we tell you the plot, lore, and more behind your favorite video games, or maybe your next favorite video game.

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Well, my name is Tom.

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And I'm Andrea.

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And yes, as you said, we are The Other Castle podcast.

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If this is your first time joining us, you can check us out at our website, theothercastlepodcast.com.

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That's the othercastlepodcast.com.

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Over there, you can check out all sorts of things.

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All sorts of fun things you can do over there.

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How much is that, Patreon?

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Just $2 a month, and we do monthly episodes over there as well, including in the off season.

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Ooh, yeah, we just did Donkey Kong with you.

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That was so much fucking fun.

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Oh, thank you so much.

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Yeah, that was a great, great episode.

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There's also some DLC to games we've covered, like Ghost of Tsushima, and The Last of Us, Left Behind DLC.

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So if you just want more of the same, it's there.

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If you want more of slightly different, but still really cool, it's also there.

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Yeah, awesome.

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Anyway, so today we are here to do a game that has been requested so many times by people.

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Like honestly, when we were doing our conventions, this is the one people asked me personally a lot.

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Yeah?

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Yeah, Gears of War.

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I feel like a lot of people told me to do a bunch of boyfriend dating simulators, and I'm not sure what that really says about me.

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It felt a little targeted where you're getting Gears of War, and people are asking me like, but have you tried like this dating sim?

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And I'm like, I'm married.

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The pigeon one.

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Yeah.

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We genuinely did get that a couple of times, and I'm like, I'd be curious to look at the fan base, but it's not really my vibe.

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Like, that's not how I want to spend 20 hours, but I get you.

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I don't know if it's right for the show.

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Yeah, it may not be a great fit, but Gears of War apparently is.

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Yeah, that's right up our alley.

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Perfect.

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So way back in 1991, a student named Tim Sweeney was attending the University of Maryland studying mechanical engineering.

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Very cool.

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On the weekends, he tinkered around on his family's home computer as his parents lived near the college.

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He taught himself how to code and even came up with his own coding language.

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Jesus, that's really cool.

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Yeah, not easy to do.

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No.

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Through his experimenting, he programmed a game creator called ZZT.

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Is that short for ZZ Top?

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No, it wasn't at all.

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Okay, because it lines up, but okay, fine.

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Right.

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It was a program that people could use to make their own custom video games.

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So it's a lot like RPG Maker today.

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Oh, that's really cool.

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Or, you know, the season three game for Mythic Quest.

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Yeah, right?

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He advertised in magazines, like PC magazines, and sold it through a phone number that routed to his parents' house.

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Oh my God, that's so embarrassing.

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Yeah, and from there, his dad would ship the copies of the game to those who would like order through the phone number in the ads.

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Nevermind, I came back around.

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This is the cutest fucking thing I've ever heard.

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What a sweet little family business.

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It was, and his dad continued shipping these copies all the way up through 2013.

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Wait, no, that's too recent.

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I know, right?

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I mean, that's 10 years ago, but it's still, that's pretty recent, the fact that it went from 91 to 2013.

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That's when GTA V came out.

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Like, that's wild.

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Why were people still buying it?

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He had initially named the company after his childhood home of Potomac, Maryland, but he wanted a name that could compete with the bigger names in the video game industry as he realized he could make a living in gaming.

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He wanted to express that he had a big, successful company despite having a single product that he made by himself.

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So he chose the most 90s name possible, Epic Mega Games.

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Oh, that's fucking great.

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I love everything about that.

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Well, fortunately, ZZT had a lot of clout in the gaming development community, and a former employee of Doom Producer ID Software named Mark Rine decided to partner with Tim Sweeney.

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Pardon me, I was thinking, since you said the original name was Potomac, this is the story of Bethesda Games.

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Oh, no, not at all.

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Like they just moved to a bigger city.

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No, it's an even bigger company.

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Okay, gotcha.

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From there, they hunted down people who bought ZZT and had used it to create some pretty cool games.

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They didn't look at just the most polished games either.

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Some of them were ugly, but had incredible sound.

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Or they had great level design, but no story.

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They wanted to find the talent in each area, even if the full product wasn't great.

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This even led them to a 17-year-old programmer named Cliff Blazinski.

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Epic MegaGames eventually went from two employees to 50.

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Wow, they did so much recruiting with just product zero.

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That's so cool.

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Yeah, they were able to really get a lot of people interested.

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They wanted to compete with the heavy hitters in PC gaming, like the Doom franchise, the Quake franchise.

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And in 1998, they released the 3D first-person shooter, Unreal, a game that would alter the course of gaming forever.

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Because they developed the Unreal Engine while making this incredible shooter.

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Oh, my God.

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Tom, you know I love the Unreal Engine.

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But like, I say that unironically.

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I made you watch the GDC presentation they just did in 2020.

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2023 and was like, watch this girl FaceTime herself into AI.

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It's so fucking cool.

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Right.

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So this was the development of the Unreal Engine.

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Oh, can you imagine if it said Epic Mega Engine instead?

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If they were just like, no, let's brand it like for the team.

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Oh, no.

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And then 20 years later and we're like, man.

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What could it have been named?

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I could have been named Turbo.

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The difficult part of making Unreal was the fact that their team of 50 was actually scattered all over the world.

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One of the big progressive groups for remote work.

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They were, but this was also at a time when it was faster to mail a file on a disk than it was to send it over the internet.

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Oh, holy shit.

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So they built a new office in Cary, North Carolina.

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That feels random.

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Right, very random spot, but I bet the cost of living was incredible.

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Oh, bet.

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And they moved everyone that was willing to stick around and changed the company name to simply Epic Games.

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Okay, so that in and of itself, that act means they are making enough fucking money to keep 50 people on payroll and move them out and get a fucking office space.

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Like they're doing pretty well so far.

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Yeah, Tim Sweeney started driving a Lamborghini when they did this.

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When they did this?

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Okay, so it's not like they were squeezing their fingers and hoping it works.

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No, they had the bankroll to accomplish this task.

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Also, he had a Lamborghini in North Carolina in what sounds like a suburban area.

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Yeah.

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That's fucking great.

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Good for him, honestly.

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Well, shortly after the move in 1999, they released Unreal Tournament, a multiplayer version of Unreal, creating some of the world's first esports tournaments and professional teams in the process.

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Wow.

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They also released Unreal Engine as a free to use game builder so people could mod the Unreal games as well as create their own.

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And the world was never the same.

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And that's still something that they offer today.

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Unreal is still free to anybody that wants to use it.

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Holy shit, I didn't know that.

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Their stipulation is after you make a million dollars off of your game, they get 5%.

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Yeah, all day every day for that kind of kit that you can build the most beautiful pieces in gaming.

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Yeah, really incredible.

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And one of the things that I think is really neat is how many times we can kind of parallel Epic with Valve in this story.

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Because as we heard in our Hades episode, Epic went on to eventually create the Epic Game Store as a competitor to Valve's Steam platform.

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Oh yeah, we should have done these in order of chronological Epic growth.

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That's really fascinating though.

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Well, over the next few years, it started to become less profitable for PC game publishers to make single player games.

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The growth of the internet led to the growth of piracy as well.

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Oh, you wouldn't steal a car.

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Yeah, people just didn't want to pay full price for a game if someone else was just giving it away for free on a torrent site.

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Yeah, or if you can play the next fucking half-life before it comes out, whatever.

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But to your point, there was some serious international piracy groups out there just stealing games.

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Constantly.

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And it was mostly for single player games because online multiplayer made piracy much more difficult, it required a lot of security checks to ensure someone was playing an official copy.

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Oh, so it's like not just torrenting, it's like layers of VPN to really make it work so you don't get kicked or things like that.

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Right.

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Sheesh, not worth it.

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Well, the one place where single player campaigns were still profitable though was on console because piracy was way too difficult to even be viable.

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So they brought their idea for a new franchise to a company they'd worked well with for years in the PC space.

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Microsoft.

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You know, they're still doing all right in the PC space.

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They're holding strong, right?

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I think they've figured out a nice adaptation strategy as the years have gone on.

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It helped that they invented it.

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Their Xbox 360 was pretty much winning that generation's console battle, but only barely.

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Was this against the PS3 or the PS2?

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This is against the PS3.

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Okay, because I mean, the 2 is still revered as one of the best systems.

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Yeah, that went up against the first Xbox.

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Wow, okay, got it.

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But yeah, 360 was kind of winning it, and especially because of online multiplayer.

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Halo 2 was Xbox's biggest hit still, but that was kind of Xbox's only big game, and it was from the previous console generation.

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And Halo 3 was a couple of years out still, and everything else was pretty much cross-platform.

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Gotcha, so they were like, what do we have that's ours that's for the love of fuck new?

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Yeah, they needed a new exclusive to compete with Spyro and Mario and Laura fucking Croft.

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So Cliff Blazinski, or Cliffy B, as he came to be called.

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Oh, I love him already.

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Cliffy B, what's up, man?

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He designed his vision for the game along with his team, and they presented Gears of War to Microsoft with the promise of a decades-running franchise.

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They wanted to take everything that was popular in gaming and throw it out the window to give the world something new.

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An over-the-shoulder, third-person action-adventure shooter with the biggest, earliest men to ever grace the screen.

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Oh, big buff boys?

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Yeah, because in film during that time, movies like Lord of the Rings and even the earlier Fast and the Furious movies were giving us action stars who weighed 150 pounds.

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That's fair.

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I mean, you know, Jason Momoa and The Rock didn't enter the Fast franchise until after the halfway point.

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Yeah, very much so.

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Yeah, and Paul Walker, I believe dressed like a dork who just went to Macy's for his junior prom.

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Yeah, he was a good looking guy, but he was skinny.

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Yeah, and he wasn't dressed very well.

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He looked like a dork.

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And then what?

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They followed that up with Ludacris.

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Yeah, you know, big, tough Luda.

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Right.

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I love Ludacris.

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Well, this game was like, fuck that trope.

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Give us the big boys of the 70s and 80s back.

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We want the meats.

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So I bring up movies specifically because this game also wanted to be cinematic, even when it wasn't in cutscenes.

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Oh, I love that.

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That's honestly very progressive in terms of like the artistic mindset for a game of this era.

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It was very much so because first person shooter was kind of the it genre.

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Yeah, and you really didn't get more than, those are the bad guys in red.

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Please shoot them.

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And that was a big reason to give it a third person POV as well.

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The whole desire to do like a cinematic thing.

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Yeah, no, I see that absolutely.

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You're really in it and you're experiencing it as a full scene.

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And Cliffy says that the designs are so incredible and the teams created such a beautiful world.

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It seems silly to keep it in first person and miss out on the amazing work they did.

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And yeah, the 30 something named Cliffy B can be a little cocky at times.

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I love him.

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I don't give a fuck.

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Yeah, but if you saw a picture of the 50 team members at Epic, you would be able to pick out Cliff without ever knowing what he looks like.

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Just being like that's definitely a man who calls himself Cliffy B.

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Yeah, he just stands out that much over everyone else.

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Good for his energy, I love that.

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Yeah, Cliffy B being in his 30s while making Gears of War, he's still dressed and acted like the cool 17-year-old surfer kid they hired years earlier.

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I love that.

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Yeah, and everyone at Epic was actually pretty fine with this, honestly.

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They're all his dads.

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Yeah, they were all like, we have social anxiety like a motherfucker, and Cliffy loves the spotlight.

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So they were fine letting him take it, and he really has become the face of the franchise as a result.

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Honestly, that's so sick.

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He's like, I'm a ham, I'm charismatic.

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I got my dream job as a teenager.

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I'm living the life.

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Let's fucking go.

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Good for him.

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And I don't want anybody to get it twisted.

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He's an extremely intelligent and talented man.

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While I didn't dig deep for controversy, I didn't see any pop up about this group of people either.

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Oh, cool.

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So this is a place of people that respect each other.

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Yeah, honestly, listening to his coworkers talk about him, they all point to every innovation and fun aspect of the game, and say, yeah, that was Cliffy's idea.

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Holy shit.

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So this dude's kind of a visionary.

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A lot of the ways, yeah.

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He's a party boy, but he was also a visionary.

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I love that.

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He's like the lead character of a feel good comedy.

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Or his own movie.

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Ooh.

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The team at Epic also didn't want to give the world a childish game like Spyro or Mario.

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Right, you know, we're getting into this era right after the waves of the crashes and the Spyros and these like mascot games.

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Yeah, it's time for more edgy games to come out because adults were starting to play games.

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And it wasn't necessarily that they were starting to, it was just that they were aging up and becoming adults.

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And you know, in media in this time, this is when, oh my goodness, those really dude-centric TV stations were out and they were doing game, like Spike TV, doing game coverage in G4, where it was finally, we're talking about video games in the media, which brings the conversation up.

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It like people open up about gaming if they see it being talked about.

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Representation matters, but anyway, but this was the time when adults could speak about games and it could be a journalistic path and it could be an opportunity to voice yourself.

00:14:36.533 --> 00:14:38.793
So it was like celebrated to be an adult gamer.

00:14:39.413 --> 00:14:42.073
100%, and they wanted to like celebrate that fact.

00:14:42.133 --> 00:14:42.753
Totally.

00:14:42.993 --> 00:14:51.133
And they wanted to crank it up to a level people hadn't seen yet in the console market and introduced elements like cutting bad guys in half from head to scrotum.

00:14:52.453 --> 00:14:53.813
Oh, I'm so excited.

00:14:54.253 --> 00:14:57.693
Or the really innovative and horrifying curb stomp.

00:14:59.813 --> 00:15:06.013
When an enemy would drop to near zero health, you could knock them to the ground and squish their head into the pavement.

00:15:06.793 --> 00:15:07.853
Oh, that's so cool.

00:15:08.213 --> 00:15:11.733
And with it being cinematic in nature, blood hits the camera lens all the time.

00:15:11.833 --> 00:15:12.713
Yeah.

00:15:13.533 --> 00:15:22.073
Another big thing they brought to this game was hiding behind cover and fighting in really tight small locations, giving us what they called intimate combat.

00:15:23.253 --> 00:15:29.413
With characters as large as six and a half feet tall and armored, they take up a lot of space as it is.

00:15:29.513 --> 00:15:30.073
Yeah.

00:15:30.513 --> 00:15:37.093
So hiding is essential for these large targets, and you can do all sorts of innovative actions like blind firing over a wall.

00:15:37.453 --> 00:15:38.253
Oh, that's great.

00:15:38.593 --> 00:15:40.893
You can literally hit X to spray and pray.

00:15:40.913 --> 00:15:41.613
That's fucking sick.

00:15:41.853 --> 00:15:46.413
So many innovations came from this game that feel standard today, such as mocap performances.

00:15:46.953 --> 00:15:48.493
They were doing mocap back then?

00:15:48.673 --> 00:15:49.213
They were.

00:15:49.393 --> 00:15:52.813
Now, it wasn't like the actors doing the voices doing the mocap.

00:15:52.833 --> 00:15:59.333
They had kind of mime actors doing the body work, but they were using that for the actions of the characters.

00:15:59.673 --> 00:16:00.713
That's really cool.

00:16:00.733 --> 00:16:04.913
Do you know if that was for both the cut scenes and for in-game movement?

00:16:05.093 --> 00:16:07.133
It was a lot for the in-game movement, honestly.

00:16:07.153 --> 00:16:08.513
Wow, that's really cool.

00:16:08.533 --> 00:16:16.933
I mean, when you are a large body crouching or you have to do a very specific kind of maneuver to make a specific weapon happen, that does make sense.

00:16:17.133 --> 00:16:21.853
Like, it could be easier to just have a model fucking do it than try and dream it up.

00:16:22.433 --> 00:16:31.013
Yeah, when you start to think of every movement as just a different animation that will get repeated, it starts to make sense that they would just get those assets and kind of just reuse them over and over.

00:16:31.013 --> 00:16:31.513
Yeah.

00:16:32.333 --> 00:16:38.813
You know, like when you watch interviews with like the Red Dead team, they're like, yeah, there's a whole week where we just had to squat and hold different guns.

00:16:39.873 --> 00:16:41.313
All of our calves were on fire.

00:16:43.373 --> 00:16:48.873
Another one of the innovations was its as yet unseen use of co-op, which we'll actually get into later.

00:16:49.133 --> 00:16:50.213
Okay, exciting.

00:16:50.713 --> 00:16:55.793
For the characters, they wanted actors who could carry the gamer through the whole story without getting annoying.

00:16:56.013 --> 00:16:56.993
Which is hard to do.

00:16:57.013 --> 00:16:58.813
That's why the first Spyro got fired.

00:16:59.233 --> 00:16:59.713
Right.

00:16:59.713 --> 00:17:06.713
So many games prior to that had mediocre to bad voice acting as games weren't seen as serious entertainment for far too long.

00:17:06.833 --> 00:17:07.253
Facts.

00:17:07.753 --> 00:17:09.813
And still aren't in a lot of ways, honestly.

00:17:09.933 --> 00:17:10.533
True.

00:17:11.153 --> 00:17:17.713
But for the lead character, they went with an actor who was only relatively known then, but is legendary today.

00:17:18.753 --> 00:17:20.173
John DiMaggio.

00:17:20.453 --> 00:17:21.813
Oh shit, is that Bender?

00:17:21.833 --> 00:17:23.873
Yeah, that's Bender from Futurama.

00:17:23.893 --> 00:17:24.553
Oh my God.

00:17:24.573 --> 00:17:26.733
I can see his title screen in my head now.

00:17:27.313 --> 00:17:31.893
And another actor they cast is named Lester Rasta-Spate.

00:17:32.513 --> 00:17:34.493
He plays a character named Augustus Cole.

00:17:34.973 --> 00:17:44.493
So Cliffy B was watching TV one day, and he saw a football commercial that Rasta was in, and thought his character was so fucking funny in that commercial.

00:17:45.353 --> 00:17:49.913
And he showed it to the team at Epic and said, Wouldn't it be hilarious to be in a war with this guy?

00:17:51.253 --> 00:17:53.033
What if this man were a warlord?

00:17:53.473 --> 00:17:58.293
So this commercial, you might remember, it was Terry Tate, defensive linebacker.

00:17:58.833 --> 00:18:07.193
And what he would do would, he was an employee of like an office, and he would tackle people for not putting the right cover letter on the TPS reports.

00:18:07.713 --> 00:18:10.853
Oh, this is one of the most classic iconic commercials.

00:18:10.873 --> 00:18:15.473
We'll drop it in the Discord if you are curious and you can't think of what to look for.

00:18:15.693 --> 00:18:19.213
Yeah, and like he knocks a guy out and he's like, you're 10 minutes late, Mitch.

00:18:20.833 --> 00:18:21.373
I love that.

00:18:21.393 --> 00:18:25.453
And they're all just beige people with sweater vests on in a regular office.

00:18:25.513 --> 00:18:28.913
And he's in a full football outfit with like the shoulder pads and shit.

00:18:29.053 --> 00:18:33.653
Yeah, so they hired the actor from the commercial and just created this character for the game.

00:18:34.013 --> 00:18:36.973
This is kind of the story of how Ted Lasso got made too.

00:18:37.573 --> 00:18:38.053
You know?

00:18:39.753 --> 00:18:46.773
Well, the rest of the cast is filled out with some regulars in video games, and it gives us some of the most fun and realistic dialogue of any game of this type.

00:18:47.053 --> 00:18:50.153
I'm still really excited to hear about John DiMaggio in this.

00:18:50.173 --> 00:18:58.653
You know, his breadth of work is very heavy in voiceover in animated work, and he doesn't do a lot of video games, at least in the ratio of it all.

00:18:58.673 --> 00:19:00.693
So that's super fucking exciting.

00:19:01.013 --> 00:19:02.193
He's done a great Joker.

00:19:02.893 --> 00:19:03.773
Has he?

00:19:03.793 --> 00:19:05.713
Yeah, in animated, he's done a great Joker.

00:19:05.733 --> 00:19:06.533
Very cool.

00:19:06.553 --> 00:19:10.133
I know the Joker is like the crown passed down from people to people.

00:19:10.153 --> 00:19:11.173
Oh yeah, that's like a hamlet.

00:19:11.353 --> 00:19:11.813
Yeah.

00:19:12.333 --> 00:19:13.813
Everybody plays Joker at some point.

00:19:13.833 --> 00:19:17.773
Yeah, but it's also a huge honor to do it and be amongst the Jokers.

00:19:17.853 --> 00:19:19.073
That's really cool.

00:19:20.013 --> 00:19:25.333
Well, Xbox was so excited for this game, they wanted it for their headliner at E3 in 2005.

00:19:26.213 --> 00:19:29.953
And Epic was pretty nervous, as they didn't feel they actually had enough to show just yet.

00:19:30.713 --> 00:19:40.333
Yeah, they're like, we've brought our fucking Avengers level like crossover event team of people we love who liked our first product, which wasn't a game.

00:19:41.033 --> 00:19:48.333
And now we're launching a game, and Cliffy B's over there, dressed like a guy named Cliffy B, and they're like, all right, so are we fucked?

00:19:50.733 --> 00:19:56.533
Well, yeah, but also with the pressure of a billionaire on your back, you find ways to make the impossible happen.

00:19:57.413 --> 00:20:04.433
So they made a demo of the biggest moments they had programmed, and just that sneak peek was enough to bring the E3 floor to a halt.

00:20:05.073 --> 00:20:05.713
Shut up.

00:20:05.913 --> 00:20:07.353
And this was in-game footage?

00:20:07.453 --> 00:20:08.613
This was in-game footage.

00:20:08.633 --> 00:20:11.253
Cliffy B played the game live on stage.

00:20:11.873 --> 00:20:13.693
Oh, that's fucking sick.

00:20:13.713 --> 00:20:22.413
And that's so ballsy because even today, we're still getting trailers that are like cinematic, doesn't represent the actual game we're trying to charge $70 for and shit.

00:20:22.533 --> 00:20:24.013
And that's fucking frustrating.

00:20:24.873 --> 00:20:26.493
Right, and they were trying to debate.

00:20:26.513 --> 00:20:30.073
They were like, okay, so we need to decide what elements we need to include.

00:20:30.753 --> 00:20:33.013
Honestly, the Chainsaw is not quite ready.

00:20:33.013 --> 00:20:35.693
Do we finish that and include it?

00:20:35.913 --> 00:20:39.573
Or do we not include it at all and finish all the other elements?

00:20:39.673 --> 00:20:44.413
And they were just like, Microsoft kept going, don't show the Chainsaw, please, that's too much, it's too gory.

00:20:44.673 --> 00:20:45.473
Don't show the Chainsaw.

00:20:45.493 --> 00:20:48.653
And everybody at Epic's like, yeah, we gotta show the fucking Chainsaw.

00:20:48.853 --> 00:20:52.293
He's telling us that the Chainsaw is gonna be the coolest fucking thing to show.

00:20:52.833 --> 00:20:58.373
Yeah, and everybody at E3 just watched a dude Chainsaw guy in half for the first time.

00:20:58.693 --> 00:21:00.353
And their fucking minds were blown.

00:21:00.373 --> 00:21:01.853
That's fucking great.

00:21:01.873 --> 00:21:03.673
That's so punk rock, too, you know?

00:21:04.093 --> 00:21:04.993
Oh, very much so.

00:21:05.013 --> 00:21:09.333
Like, it's full fuck the man, and they're indie as fuck, so they're like, we're doing this.

00:21:09.333 --> 00:21:16.393
It's that season one finale of Silicon Valley where they win the fucking thing because they all came together and they're not polished, but they do it.

00:21:16.693 --> 00:21:17.033
Right.

00:21:17.053 --> 00:21:22.453
Ooh, I don't know what's happening in the video game, but I'm loving what's happening in the story.

00:21:22.473 --> 00:21:24.993
I'll tell you right now, this is really fucking cool.

00:21:25.153 --> 00:21:29.093
Well, Bill Gates himself was there, and even he said, that was pretty cool.

00:21:29.413 --> 00:21:32.593
Oh shit, to be blessed by a billionaire?

00:21:32.613 --> 00:21:33.093
Yeah.

00:21:33.993 --> 00:21:35.013
So there was no pressure.

00:21:37.813 --> 00:21:44.833
Despite not feeling ready for E3 2005, Gears of War went on to release November 7th, 2006.

00:21:45.573 --> 00:21:47.893
Okay, so a year and change later.

00:21:48.453 --> 00:21:51.233
Yeah, and crunch was a major factor in getting it done.

00:21:51.253 --> 00:21:54.713
So they're like, we showed our hand, we have to follow through.

00:21:54.973 --> 00:21:59.813
Yeah, but this was that era where it was so normalized, they weren't ashamed to even be open about it.

00:21:59.833 --> 00:22:01.073
Oh, yeah.

00:22:01.333 --> 00:22:04.553
And you know, there's something to be said about being isolated, right?

00:22:04.573 --> 00:22:13.513
Because so much of development is in Northern California and Silicon Valley and San Jose, or Santa Monica Beach and Silicon Beach, or like a New York developer.

00:22:13.533 --> 00:22:22.573
To be kind of off by your own in a North Carolina setting, where there's not as many studios as there typically is, or not a lot of industry work at all.

00:22:23.113 --> 00:22:24.653
Not a lot to do on the weekends anyway.

00:22:25.673 --> 00:22:26.993
What else are you fucking doing?

00:22:27.013 --> 00:22:31.793
But you know that they're all so isolated, so they don't realize it's as bad as it is, you know?

00:22:32.153 --> 00:22:33.753
Right, but they were still pretty nice about it.

00:22:33.773 --> 00:22:35.593
Like it was 10 hour days during the week.

00:22:35.993 --> 00:22:38.753
There was Saturday days, but it was like half days kind of stuff.

00:22:39.113 --> 00:22:39.893
Okay.

00:22:39.913 --> 00:22:41.553
They did cater every single meal.

00:22:42.133 --> 00:22:45.113
That's a good compromise to start with, okay.

00:22:45.173 --> 00:22:48.173
Yeah, and they even brought in masseuses to help them get through the long hours.

00:22:48.313 --> 00:22:52.773
I would fully get fired after wasting a masseuse's entire day.

00:22:54.273 --> 00:22:55.233
That sounds amazing.

00:22:55.333 --> 00:22:57.813
Just getting back in line like it's a fucking roller coaster.

00:22:57.833 --> 00:23:03.233
Yeah, like I'm Stanley on pretzel day, like I'll stand here all fucking day, and I'm gonna get back in line.

00:23:03.253 --> 00:23:04.033
I don't give a fuck.

00:23:05.153 --> 00:23:09.473
Well, the game's launch trailer also took an approach nobody expected.

00:23:11.053 --> 00:23:14.933
Instead of heavy death metal that typical action games used.

00:23:15.293 --> 00:23:19.493
Yeah, it was a very near, near, like era of commercials.

00:23:20.253 --> 00:23:27.513
They used the Gary Jules cover of the Tears for Fears classic Mad World to introduce the world to Gears of War.

00:23:27.793 --> 00:23:31.053
And to introduce the world to this genre of commercial.

00:23:32.193 --> 00:23:40.633
Because holy shit, getting the creepy acoustic cover of another song is just a world of its own.

00:23:40.653 --> 00:23:44.113
It is a genre all in itself, and Gears of War totally invented it.

00:23:44.213 --> 00:23:47.993
God damn, I didn't realize how culturally impactful this was.

00:23:48.653 --> 00:24:01.513
Yeah, so Mad World is a slow, hauntingly beautiful song, and the trailer culminated in the song title, Mad World, being sung as the character confronts a 40-foot tarantula-like monster.

00:24:02.873 --> 00:24:05.853
It really was a mad world.

00:24:07.293 --> 00:24:15.293
Well, this made people quake with excitement because that was not the tone they expected from a game called Gears of War.

00:24:17.633 --> 00:24:22.033
When it released, it sold over a million copies in just three days.

00:24:22.273 --> 00:24:24.433
Wow, that's a lot for...

00:24:24.513 --> 00:24:25.853
You said this was 2006?

00:24:25.873 --> 00:24:26.973
2006, yeah.

00:24:26.993 --> 00:24:28.613
That's a lot for 2006.

00:24:29.133 --> 00:24:31.773
And it reached 3 million copies at 10 weeks.

00:24:32.333 --> 00:24:34.213
And that's still an Xbox exclusive.

00:24:34.233 --> 00:24:36.473
That's a lot for any console exclusive straight up.

00:24:36.493 --> 00:24:38.933
For a console exclusive, that's ridiculous numbers.

00:24:39.093 --> 00:24:41.973
Yeah, and for a first game, it's still a freshman title.

00:24:43.873 --> 00:24:49.053
Granted, it's coming from Epic Games and the people that made Unreal Tournament, which was very well respected.

00:24:49.853 --> 00:24:54.093
It was still like mind blowing because this is their first console game on top of that.

00:24:54.213 --> 00:24:58.033
Yeah, this is really where they put it all out there and they knocked it out of the park.

00:24:58.053 --> 00:24:58.913
This is fucking great.

00:24:59.513 --> 00:25:01.673
Over 5 million copies ultimately sold.

00:25:02.413 --> 00:25:06.553
And it is the 360's second most played game beat only by Halo 3.

00:25:07.633 --> 00:25:11.433
It spawned several sequels, spin-offs, and movie rumors galore.

00:25:12.153 --> 00:25:13.333
Can I tell you about one spin-off?

00:25:13.513 --> 00:25:14.113
Oh, please.

00:25:14.113 --> 00:25:19.133
There was a special edition loot crate box for Gears of War 4.

00:25:19.653 --> 00:25:29.353
And I was in one of the promo photos for it because they needed someone who looked angry and tattooed and everyone's head whipped around in unison to me.

00:25:29.713 --> 00:25:31.593
And the girl who says fuck every other word.

00:25:34.073 --> 00:25:34.793
That's really great.

00:25:34.953 --> 00:25:38.093
Yeah, I got to do a photo shoot for like a half day a loot crate there.

00:25:38.573 --> 00:25:41.673
So I'm canonical to this series and I'm glad you're covering me.

00:25:43.833 --> 00:25:45.453
I will happily cover you anytime.

00:25:45.493 --> 00:25:48.873
It was approved by the licensing team, which means it's canon.

00:25:49.713 --> 00:25:51.533
Canonically, I am in the Gears of War.

00:25:52.093 --> 00:25:55.733
Well, speaking of licensing, Netflix currently has the rights to the movies.

00:25:56.053 --> 00:25:56.693
Oh shit.

00:25:56.973 --> 00:26:00.473
And I'm sure they're waiting to see how Bioshock does before really pushing forward on it.

00:26:01.193 --> 00:26:04.313
Oh, the alleged Bioshock Netflix project.

00:26:04.693 --> 00:26:06.253
That may or may not ever happen.

00:26:06.313 --> 00:26:09.313
I'm not, I'm not gonna hold my breath.

00:26:09.653 --> 00:26:11.513
I know we're going underwater, but I'm not doing it.

00:26:12.393 --> 00:26:14.353
Cause we may not, cause this may never happen.

00:26:14.373 --> 00:26:17.773
Although they did very well with the One Piece adaptation.

00:26:17.993 --> 00:26:18.673
That's true.

00:26:18.693 --> 00:26:19.733
They are doing all right with that.

00:26:19.753 --> 00:26:20.873
I mean, I haven't watched it.

00:26:20.893 --> 00:26:25.953
So this is obviously just from what I'm seeing on my Instagram feed, but people seem to really enjoy it.

00:26:25.973 --> 00:26:27.473
They seem pleasantly surprised.

00:26:27.573 --> 00:26:28.073
Yes.

00:26:28.513 --> 00:26:34.433
And the fact that The Last of Us has somehow found another revenue to make a billion dollars from, magically.

00:26:34.453 --> 00:26:35.273
Outrageous.

00:26:35.393 --> 00:26:40.653
Yeah, so I think we're out of the era of superhero and into the era of video game adaptations.

00:26:40.913 --> 00:26:41.553
I hope so.

00:26:41.573 --> 00:26:45.873
As long as they stick close to the adaptations like the comic book movies did when they started getting good.

00:26:46.293 --> 00:26:49.093
What studio would you want to see a crossover epic from?

00:26:49.673 --> 00:26:59.113
Like, would you want to do the Super Smash Bros universe where you have Detective Pikachu and Kirby and fucking Chris Pratt's Mario all coming together?

00:26:59.533 --> 00:27:01.753
I think that's the most logical next step.

00:27:01.933 --> 00:27:02.993
I don't want logical.

00:27:02.993 --> 00:27:09.173
I want the Quantum Realm where the heavy rain killer is alive in Detroit and the androids are gonna kill them.

00:27:09.593 --> 00:27:12.793
I think Mortal Kombat has the best chance at doing some stuff though.

00:27:12.873 --> 00:27:14.413
Yeah, okay, you went logically.

00:27:14.433 --> 00:27:15.093
That's fine.

00:27:15.333 --> 00:27:18.833
Well, yeah, I mean, they have RoboCop in Mortal Kombat now.

00:27:18.853 --> 00:27:20.473
They have Terminator and RoboCop.

00:27:20.493 --> 00:27:24.253
So, you know, they've got all sorts of different IPs already worked into Mortal Kombat.

00:27:24.293 --> 00:27:25.213
That would be pretty sick.

00:27:25.213 --> 00:27:25.953
All right, I'll give you that.

00:27:26.273 --> 00:27:35.873
Well, anyway, in 2015, an ultimate 4K upgraded version was released on Xbox One and PC, and that brought in an additional million in sales.

00:27:36.313 --> 00:27:38.993
Oh, some nostalgia, some catching up for the first time.

00:27:39.933 --> 00:27:43.073
Today, it has a 93% Metacritic rating.

00:27:44.633 --> 00:27:47.653
It's, like I said, one of our most requested games by far.

00:27:48.673 --> 00:27:50.393
And we surprised Andrea with Halo.

00:27:51.513 --> 00:27:52.453
Also, I'm in this.

00:27:52.973 --> 00:27:55.173
We made her fall in love in Half-Life.

00:27:56.953 --> 00:27:57.693
Famously.

00:27:58.313 --> 00:28:02.313
So let's see what she thinks after this testosterone thrill ride.

00:28:02.493 --> 00:28:03.373
Oh, joy.

00:28:04.333 --> 00:28:06.433
So rev up your chainsaws, Goombas.

00:28:07.313 --> 00:28:09.613
This is Gears of War.

00:28:10.293 --> 00:28:13.353
You keep saying chainsaws with no context given.

00:28:14.473 --> 00:28:16.313
We find ourselves on the planet Sarah.

00:28:16.493 --> 00:28:16.813
Great.

00:28:16.893 --> 00:28:17.853
Where we set our scene.

00:28:18.813 --> 00:28:20.173
It's essentially Earth, but it's not.

00:28:20.513 --> 00:28:22.893
And maybe it's that planet from Disco Elysium, but like in the future.

00:28:23.233 --> 00:28:23.453
Oh.

00:28:24.013 --> 00:28:28.713
The planet is inhabited by humans, and their countries and cities look a lot like they do on our world.

00:28:29.373 --> 00:28:34.673
An older feminine voice speaks as we see these cities and people wandering about living their lives.

00:28:35.973 --> 00:28:44.133
The voice is that of a person known as the Locust Queen, Mira, which we don't technically learn her name until a later game, but since we know it, I'll call her by it.

00:28:45.153 --> 00:28:49.793
And she says that the humans of Sarah had lived in peace for a considerable amount of time.

00:28:52.353 --> 00:28:53.473
Then, Emergence Day came.

00:28:54.733 --> 00:29:00.773
A small, peaceful outdoor cafe descends into chaos as a building nearby crumbles.

00:29:00.953 --> 00:29:01.553
Oh shit.

00:29:01.733 --> 00:29:06.273
And out from beneath the ground comes a gigantic, horrifying creature.

00:29:07.253 --> 00:29:09.213
It looks like they took a tarantula.

00:29:09.693 --> 00:29:10.333
Nope, I'm out.

00:29:10.553 --> 00:29:12.353
And crossed it with a scorpion.

00:29:13.033 --> 00:29:15.413
That's like the other scariest bug!

00:29:15.753 --> 00:29:17.113
And it's 40 feet tall.

00:29:17.853 --> 00:29:18.733
Did you hate this?

00:29:19.193 --> 00:29:20.973
Oh, it's the most terrifying fucking thing.

00:29:21.033 --> 00:29:22.973
You do not care for spiders.

00:29:23.173 --> 00:29:25.453
No, arachnids in general, I am not a fan of.

00:29:26.673 --> 00:29:31.173
I saw a scorpion in our house once, and now we have bug people that come every six weeks.

00:29:32.653 --> 00:29:34.053
They kill all the bugs for us.

00:29:34.073 --> 00:29:34.353
Yes.

00:29:35.113 --> 00:29:42.673
From underneath this creature, swarms of bipedal, orc-like creatures rush the humans, armed to kill.

00:29:43.273 --> 00:29:45.113
And they're called the locusts.

00:29:46.853 --> 00:29:53.993
The locust queen says that the humans fought back for a time, but were ultimately overwhelmed and defeated by the locusts.

00:29:55.273 --> 00:30:02.573
We see battles with humans and locusts alike getting killed, and we see a human use a crazy weapon on one of the creatures.

00:30:03.673 --> 00:30:06.833
A machine gun with a chainsaw attachment.

00:30:08.113 --> 00:30:09.733
Oh, that's fucking cool.

00:30:10.293 --> 00:30:16.693
So this is the iconic weapon of the Gears of War franchise, and it's called the Lancer Assault Rifle.

00:30:17.473 --> 00:30:18.133
That's cool.

00:30:18.713 --> 00:30:27.273
The man with the gun runs up on one of the locusts and cuts this motherfucker in half with the chainsaw part of the gun with blood flying everywhere.

00:30:27.493 --> 00:30:28.593
Hot dog or hamburger?

00:30:29.033 --> 00:30:29.573
Hot dog.

00:30:30.593 --> 00:30:30.873
Oh!

00:30:31.153 --> 00:30:33.573
Lengthways, like I said, from head to taint.

00:30:35.253 --> 00:30:40.413
The enemy forces, though, were way too powerful as they brought guns and other weapons of their own.

00:30:40.873 --> 00:30:49.833
Billions died, and the remaining few humans decided to pull a move out of the Matrix movies and laid waste to their own planet in an attempt to kill the invaders.

00:30:50.093 --> 00:30:50.753
Oh shit.

00:30:51.693 --> 00:30:58.693
From above, a sky beam shoots down onto the planet like it's the movie Independence Day, and it levels a major city.

00:31:00.673 --> 00:31:09.573
In the rubble of the planet they once controlled, two soldiers back themselves into a corner, shooting at an overwhelming onslaught laid out in front of themselves.

00:31:11.253 --> 00:31:15.013
Not noticing the two 20-foot monsters approaching them from behind.

00:31:16.613 --> 00:31:21.253
The Queen says that now the humans are approaching their final, desperate last stand.

00:31:22.413 --> 00:31:25.413
As the scene cuts away, and we get our title screen.

00:31:27.733 --> 00:31:35.473
The game comes back to a prison, and we go into Act 1, Ashes, 14 years after E-Day.

00:31:36.433 --> 00:31:40.793
We're inside a cell, and above us, instead of a ceiling, is a metal grate.

00:31:41.373 --> 00:31:45.413
And creatures are running across it, hissing and spitting down at the inhabitant below.

00:31:46.713 --> 00:31:52.713
The big, thick metal door to the cell has a little window slide open, and we see someone standing on the other side.

00:31:53.593 --> 00:31:55.193
He says, Jack, rip that door.

00:31:55.853 --> 00:31:58.293
And we see sparks come flying between the cracks.

00:31:59.093 --> 00:32:03.173
It opens, and we see a flying robot with a blowtorch for a hand move away.

00:32:04.233 --> 00:32:07.433
The flying robot is more like R2-D2 and less like Wheatley.

00:32:07.673 --> 00:32:08.513
Okay, got it.

00:32:09.053 --> 00:32:13.253
But it's also a lot more cyberpunk as it looks like it was built from parts rather than with intention.

00:32:13.313 --> 00:32:14.333
Oh, he's a Frankenbot.

00:32:14.353 --> 00:32:14.853
That's cool.

00:32:15.013 --> 00:32:15.473
Yeah.

00:32:16.413 --> 00:32:25.673
The human that opened the door is 6'3 and pure muscle as he stands in the light showing off an impressive figure holding a big-ass duffel bag.

00:32:25.753 --> 00:32:26.533
And he's a human.

00:32:26.653 --> 00:32:27.473
He's a human, yeah.

00:32:27.493 --> 00:32:28.033
Not a locust.

00:32:28.053 --> 00:32:28.393
Got it.

00:32:29.113 --> 00:32:31.693
The prisoner sits on the floor and asks, What are you doing here?

00:32:32.873 --> 00:32:34.513
The man says that he's here to get you out.

00:32:34.793 --> 00:32:36.293
Now, suit up and let's go.

00:32:37.533 --> 00:32:42.753
The duffel lands at the prisoner's feet, and we can see the name Phoenix spelled with an F written on the bag.

00:32:44.953 --> 00:32:50.553
The prisoner says that the other guy can get in a lot of trouble for this, but he says that everyone else is already free.

00:32:51.313 --> 00:32:53.173
Someone named Hoffman already pardoned everyone.

00:32:53.333 --> 00:32:53.853
Oh, shit.

00:32:54.893 --> 00:33:00.513
The prisoner steps into the light for the first time, and we see our hero and protagonist, Marcus Fenix.

00:33:00.893 --> 00:33:02.293
That's such an extreme name.

00:33:02.553 --> 00:33:02.913
Right?

00:33:04.693 --> 00:33:14.073
He's a big and meaty, muscle-bound man, every bit as large as the man who freed him, with a nice little dark black soul patch just under his bottom lip.

00:33:14.193 --> 00:33:15.573
Oh, not the soul patch?

00:33:15.593 --> 00:33:17.893
Yeah, Super 2006, right?

00:33:17.893 --> 00:33:18.413
Yeah.

00:33:18.693 --> 00:33:21.113
And a black bandana covering his head and hair.

00:33:22.073 --> 00:33:25.893
The man who freed you hands you a shotgun and says, Welcome back to the army.

00:33:26.733 --> 00:33:31.893
You take the gun, look at it, and say shit as you follow along.

00:33:34.273 --> 00:33:39.033
With there being five plus Gears games, there's a lot of lore and background on Marcus.

00:33:40.153 --> 00:33:42.093
Is he the protagonist for all the games?

00:33:42.173 --> 00:33:43.473
Not all the games, no.

00:33:44.313 --> 00:33:46.573
Not necessarily saying anything about the fate of Marcus.

00:33:46.593 --> 00:33:49.433
It's just that there are other stories to tell in the world of Gears of War.

00:33:49.513 --> 00:33:50.193
Totally get it.

00:33:50.213 --> 00:33:52.393
Nathan Drake's not the protagonist of every Uncharted.

00:33:52.593 --> 00:33:52.993
Right.

00:33:53.953 --> 00:33:59.033
And so there's a lot of events that lead up to him being in prison that we don't explore in this game.

00:34:00.193 --> 00:34:01.453
But I'm going to tell some of it anyway.

00:34:01.533 --> 00:34:03.573
Okay, just for context, since we have it.

00:34:03.793 --> 00:34:04.253
Yeah.

00:34:04.813 --> 00:34:11.673
So after Emergence Day, Marcus joined the COG Army, which stands for the Coalition of Ordered Governments.

00:34:12.973 --> 00:34:16.113
Soldiers in the COG Army are called Gears.

00:34:16.913 --> 00:34:18.713
So you're gear in the COG.

00:34:20.653 --> 00:34:22.913
They don't really celebrate individuality there.

00:34:23.053 --> 00:34:23.353
No.

00:34:25.333 --> 00:34:28.753
While in the COG Army, he fought the Locusts for 10 years.

00:34:29.753 --> 00:34:33.953
As I briefly mentioned before, the Locusts don't look like their insect counterpart.

00:34:34.613 --> 00:34:36.113
That's just the name given to their species.

00:34:36.693 --> 00:34:42.353
The bigger insect-like beings, like the spider scorpion, are called hollow creatures.

00:34:42.713 --> 00:34:43.793
I hate hollow creatures.

00:34:43.933 --> 00:34:46.333
Because they're less intelligent and their brains are hollow.

00:34:46.973 --> 00:34:48.433
That's a weird burn.

00:34:48.573 --> 00:34:49.253
No, not really.

00:34:49.693 --> 00:34:52.193
The hollow is the underground cavern they call home.

00:34:54.013 --> 00:34:58.133
Because also, like their insect counterparts, they all live underground.

00:34:58.353 --> 00:34:58.873
Gross.

00:34:58.893 --> 00:35:00.613
These are not aliens from above.

00:35:01.173 --> 00:35:02.413
They came from below.

00:35:02.433 --> 00:35:04.013
They did, like the Underminer.

00:35:04.033 --> 00:35:04.573
Hmm.

00:35:05.213 --> 00:35:11.193
I also have this headcanon idea that the humans on Serra are actually smaller than insect size.

00:35:12.653 --> 00:35:13.833
It's all about perspective.

00:35:13.853 --> 00:35:19.313
It is, and that the locusts and hollow creatures aren't actually giant, but that's just kind of like my silly little thought.

00:35:19.333 --> 00:35:20.013
They're regular?

00:35:20.113 --> 00:35:20.453
Yeah.

00:35:20.793 --> 00:35:24.173
They're all regular size insects, and that the people there are very tiny.

00:35:24.393 --> 00:35:27.553
It's like if a whole generation went through Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

00:35:27.653 --> 00:35:29.093
They all got in front of the shrink ray.

00:35:29.113 --> 00:35:29.513
Yeah.

00:35:29.753 --> 00:35:32.013
And we just pranked them.

00:35:32.553 --> 00:35:33.513
That's perfect.

00:35:34.413 --> 00:35:36.373
There's also a lot of variety in these invaders.

00:35:36.793 --> 00:35:39.713
So most are bipedal, almost humanoid in appearance.

00:35:40.113 --> 00:35:44.193
But again, I'd put them looking more like orcs from Lord of the Rings or World of Warcraft.

00:35:44.453 --> 00:35:47.433
Just instead of green skin, it's mostly blacks, grays, and browns.

00:35:48.713 --> 00:35:52.173
They're also slightly larger than the two men we've seen so far.

00:35:52.813 --> 00:35:56.693
Probably closer to six foot nine or a full seven feet tall, depending on the type.

00:35:58.233 --> 00:36:01.273
Yeah, huge, huge creatures and huge men fighting them.

00:36:02.113 --> 00:36:05.953
But yeah, so these creatures, they range from big and strong to smaller and agile.

00:36:07.293 --> 00:36:13.233
Plus they have the hollow creatures, essentially as their allies as well, which are more like trained pets than allies.

00:36:14.293 --> 00:36:26.233
During a major battle with the locusts, Marcus abandoned his post and instead went on an unauthorized rescue mission to save his father, taking with him a weapon the Gears needed to win the fight.

00:36:27.773 --> 00:36:37.053
It all turned out to be in vain anyway, as the helicopter sent in to rescue Marcus and his father was shot down, and the helicopter landed on his father, killing him.

00:36:37.253 --> 00:36:38.073
Oh, shit!

00:36:39.153 --> 00:36:50.393
Marcus was thrown in prison for insubordination where he sat for four years, somehow maintaining his insane muscle mass, because everyone there is also in solitary confinement, so how did he do that?

00:36:51.953 --> 00:36:54.833
Anyway, we gear up and take control of Marcus from here on out.

00:36:56.513 --> 00:36:59.753
The man that broke you out of prison is named Dominic Santiago.

00:36:59.973 --> 00:37:01.713
That's such a cool fucking name.

00:37:01.933 --> 00:37:03.973
Yeah, and everyone just calls him Dom.

00:37:05.013 --> 00:37:07.253
Because this is the Fast and the Furious now.

00:37:09.013 --> 00:37:09.353
Yeah.

00:37:10.173 --> 00:37:12.073
It's always nice to be reunited with family.

00:37:12.573 --> 00:37:15.873
Yeah, he's your best friend and actually went with you to rescue your father.

00:37:16.533 --> 00:37:21.793
But you convinced everyone that you had tricked Dom into going with you, and as far as he knew, he was just following orders.

00:37:23.573 --> 00:37:29.993
Dom gives you the option of doing a tutorial or just skipping it, which I appreciate more than anything.

00:37:30.573 --> 00:37:32.373
Do you want me to tell you when to press X?

00:37:32.393 --> 00:37:32.973
Are you good?

00:37:33.053 --> 00:37:37.593
Yeah, they're like, we can go over here and you can learn everything, or we can just go straight through and run and gun.

00:37:37.673 --> 00:37:38.353
That's cool.

00:37:39.073 --> 00:37:46.113
And when you make it out of the bowels of the prison and into a central hall, Dom radios out that he has successfully freed you and that you are ready for some help.

00:37:46.973 --> 00:37:51.953
The help comes and starts bombing the building you're in, and Dom goes, not now, we're still inside.

00:37:53.613 --> 00:37:55.453
And the guy on the radio goes, oh, sorry.

00:37:56.053 --> 00:37:57.173
Yeah, you guys should probably move.

00:37:57.373 --> 00:37:58.013
Oh my god.

00:37:59.193 --> 00:38:05.273
The two of you maneuver through the blown out hallways of the prison, finding dead humans that had been torn to shreds by the locusts.

00:38:06.273 --> 00:38:16.833
The two of you fight your way out of the prison, which had been overtaken by the locusts unbeknownst to you a few months ago, which means the locusts were feeding you while you were in prison and you still didn't notice.

00:38:18.513 --> 00:38:23.953
But whatever, the two of you kill your way outside, and we see buildings explode and walls falling down.

00:38:24.033 --> 00:38:25.533
Jesus, full war zone.

00:38:25.673 --> 00:38:26.133
Yeah.

00:38:26.713 --> 00:38:29.493
The support helicopter even gets taken out during the battle.

00:38:30.393 --> 00:38:31.053
God damn.

00:38:31.093 --> 00:38:36.693
So they have to send a second helicopter who says that they're going to need to abort the mission that they're on and just finish the extraction.

00:38:37.553 --> 00:38:40.293
Because getting you out was only part one of the mission.

00:38:40.573 --> 00:38:43.133
And losing helicopters is very expensive.

00:38:43.433 --> 00:38:47.973
Yeah, the actual mission was to destroy this prison and the locust swarm that had taken it over.

00:38:49.193 --> 00:38:53.553
The helicopter says that you need to hurry because the ground beneath you is moving.

00:38:53.893 --> 00:38:54.413
Oh, no.

00:38:55.233 --> 00:38:56.713
It lands and you run to catch it.

00:38:57.533 --> 00:39:00.453
As you do, we see the ground beneath you swell.

00:39:01.173 --> 00:39:03.553
And up out of it bursts a tarantula scorpion.

00:39:03.893 --> 00:39:04.573
Oh, no.

00:39:04.713 --> 00:39:06.593
And it's actually called a corpser.

00:39:06.933 --> 00:39:07.913
A corpser?

00:39:07.933 --> 00:39:09.353
Yeah, because it makes corpses.

00:39:09.853 --> 00:39:10.933
Oh, Jesus.

00:39:11.673 --> 00:39:17.173
It scuttles across the ground, swiping its 40-foot legs at you, barely missing.

00:39:17.553 --> 00:39:19.473
40 is too, too tall.

00:39:19.573 --> 00:39:20.793
I don't like this shit at all.

00:39:20.813 --> 00:39:22.053
It's so fucking big.

00:39:22.073 --> 00:39:24.193
The scale is outrageous.

00:39:25.273 --> 00:39:30.173
You leap onto the helicopter just in time as the cloverfield monster screeches from beneath you.

00:39:30.853 --> 00:39:31.773
Finally out of reach.

00:39:32.753 --> 00:39:37.753
On the chopper, you're given your own lancer gun, and you take it, and that's the one with the chainsaw on it.

00:39:38.293 --> 00:39:39.173
Hell yeah.

00:39:39.773 --> 00:39:42.053
You go, okay, you broke me out for a reason.

00:39:42.573 --> 00:39:43.253
What's the target?

00:39:44.393 --> 00:39:50.393
A bald lieutenant on the chopper named Min Young Kim tells you that Colonel Hoffman will fill you in when you land.

00:39:51.573 --> 00:39:58.133
Another soldier who's just randomly shooting out the window of the chopper asks, are you really the Marcus Fenix?

00:39:58.273 --> 00:39:58.773
Ooh.

00:39:59.133 --> 00:40:02.793
And you answer in the affirmative, and the soldier goes, wow, that's so cool.

00:40:03.753 --> 00:40:04.993
So you're a local legend.

00:40:05.073 --> 00:40:07.153
Yeah, and you respond, not really.

00:40:08.353 --> 00:40:10.093
That's so humble and cool to say, though.

00:40:10.153 --> 00:40:10.933
I know, right?

00:40:12.573 --> 00:40:18.273
The helicopter lands and the testosterone level skyrockets as you are immediately confronted by Colonel Hoffman.

00:40:19.453 --> 00:40:22.453
He says that a traitor like you doesn't deserve a uniform.

00:40:23.153 --> 00:40:26.173
There's a reason you were the only prisoner left in that jail.

00:40:26.573 --> 00:40:27.753
Hoffman didn't want you freed.

00:40:28.513 --> 00:40:30.713
You spit back that it looks like he doesn't get a choice.

00:40:30.993 --> 00:40:32.153
He needs all the help he can get.

00:40:32.173 --> 00:40:35.293
Hoffman walks off with Lieutenant Kim to talk.

00:40:36.053 --> 00:40:39.613
He tells him that there's a plan that will end this war once and for all.

00:40:40.473 --> 00:40:43.633
And Dom walks up behind you all like, yeah, we haven't heard that before.

00:40:45.073 --> 00:40:52.693
A nearby woman in a military uniform puts her finger to an earpiece she's wearing and says that sensors have picked up enemy forces encroaching on your location.

00:40:53.173 --> 00:40:56.573
You look at this woman who has a military escort with her, and she smiles at you.

00:40:57.733 --> 00:41:02.293
But that smile fades as the head of her escort explodes, and she gets drenched in his brain matter.

00:41:02.553 --> 00:41:03.493
Oh, shit!

00:41:04.213 --> 00:41:07.433
From a distance, we see a locust with a sniper rifle scream out.

00:41:07.953 --> 00:41:10.753
The gears all go to action, and a fight breaks out.

00:41:10.833 --> 00:41:11.413
Hell yeah.

00:41:12.173 --> 00:41:17.193
During the fight, Colonel Hoffman tells Lieutenant Kim that he has a device called a light mask bomb.

00:41:17.873 --> 00:41:20.633
It can take out the whole swarm in a single go.

00:41:21.473 --> 00:41:27.233
They just need some data on their home and stronghold underground to make sure they place it in the right spot to take it all out.

00:41:28.073 --> 00:41:28.793
It's worth it.

00:41:28.813 --> 00:41:29.353
Let's do it.

00:41:30.273 --> 00:41:39.173
Alpha Squad went underground to set off a device called a resonator, and it can send out a pulse to map the entire underground tunnel system the locusts set up.

00:41:39.233 --> 00:41:40.993
Kind of like an echolocation bomb.

00:41:41.233 --> 00:41:42.573
Yeah, exactly like that.

00:41:42.613 --> 00:41:43.473
That's cool.

00:41:44.173 --> 00:41:48.333
But they lost contact a while ago, and the data from the resonator has not been transmitted.

00:41:49.313 --> 00:41:56.693
He assumes Alpha Squad is fine, but he needs a team to go in there to make sure they set off the device so they can get the data they need for the lightmass bomb.

00:41:58.573 --> 00:42:04.653
While the two leaders chat, you and Dom take out the entire group of locusts attacking the base practically on your own.

00:42:04.673 --> 00:42:08.173
They're just having a full ops meeting right now while this is happening.

00:42:08.193 --> 00:42:08.433
They are.

00:42:08.453 --> 00:42:10.413
They're like ducked behind a wall chatting.

00:42:10.593 --> 00:42:11.193
Jesus.

00:42:12.013 --> 00:42:17.353
When they're all dead, Hoffman orders you and Dom to go with Lieutenant Kim underground to set off the pulse device.

00:42:18.513 --> 00:42:26.493
In the meantime, Lieutenant Anya Stroud, the woman with the earpiece, will be feeding you the intel they do have on the area to help you get to where you need to go.

00:42:26.993 --> 00:42:30.273
And just to like be in your ear a little bit for maybe some ear candy?

00:42:30.313 --> 00:42:31.753
Yeah, she's your girl in the chair.

00:42:31.773 --> 00:42:33.433
Do we dig her?

00:42:33.593 --> 00:42:34.373
We like her a lot.

00:42:34.393 --> 00:42:34.573
Yeah.

00:42:34.613 --> 00:42:34.913
Cool.

00:42:35.553 --> 00:42:40.533
Hoffman tells you that he expects 110% out of you, and you tell him to go fucking self.

00:42:40.553 --> 00:42:41.693
You're not doing this for him.

00:42:42.573 --> 00:42:44.153
First of all, you're bad at math.

00:42:44.213 --> 00:42:45.473
Second of all, fuck you.

00:42:46.653 --> 00:42:52.233
You decide the best place to start is where this current group of locusts came from, as they had to come from somewhere.

00:42:53.233 --> 00:42:56.133
As you progress, you come across some dead human soldiers.

00:42:57.193 --> 00:43:02.473
You tell Anya that you have visual on Alpha Squad, and they look like they are probably all dead.

00:43:03.553 --> 00:43:05.413
You also can't find the resonator anywhere.

00:43:06.513 --> 00:43:10.593
You inspect the bodies to make sure it's Alpha Squad, but their cog tags are missing.

00:43:11.613 --> 00:43:12.073
Oh, no.

00:43:12.373 --> 00:43:16.513
Because in this world, they have cog tags instead of dog tags.

00:43:16.533 --> 00:43:16.993
Oh, yeah.

00:43:18.453 --> 00:43:19.153
I get you there.

00:43:19.353 --> 00:43:26.473
So these cog tags are actually the collectible in this game, so you can find them kind of scattered all over the place, like they're the coins in the comics from Last of Us 2.

00:43:27.193 --> 00:43:33.993
You know, in Last of Us 1, they literally collected Firefly dog tags, but you went with Last of Us 2 when we do co-orders?

00:43:34.013 --> 00:43:36.173
That's right, they did have the dog tags in the first one.

00:43:36.193 --> 00:43:37.273
I forgot about those two.

00:43:37.293 --> 00:43:39.293
Tom, you skipped the more obvious one, but yes.

00:43:39.313 --> 00:43:41.773
To answer your question, I'm with you.

00:43:43.533 --> 00:43:50.333
Well, one of the soldiers in your group of four, named Carmine, finds a round metal ball thing and Dom asks if it's the resonator.

00:43:51.053 --> 00:43:52.933
He says no, he's not sure what it is.

00:43:53.493 --> 00:43:57.353
So he tosses it down an old hole the Locusts had once used to come up out of the ground.

00:43:58.453 --> 00:44:03.873
Anya tells you that this might not be Alpha Squad, since you can't identify anyone and they don't have the resonator.

00:44:04.813 --> 00:44:07.873
It's likely an old scouting troop or a trap set by the Locusts.

00:44:08.153 --> 00:44:10.413
Those are dead people we left here a long time ago.

00:44:10.433 --> 00:44:11.193
Don't worry about it.

00:44:12.113 --> 00:44:17.693
There's a building up ahead where they last contacted Alpha Squad, so your small group of four heads in that direction.

00:44:17.953 --> 00:44:19.893
And Anya is remote but in your ear, right?

00:44:19.913 --> 00:44:20.673
Correct, yeah.

00:44:20.693 --> 00:44:22.773
She kind of can see you through satellites and shit.

00:44:22.993 --> 00:44:23.353
Cool.

00:44:24.893 --> 00:44:33.613
You take out some Locusts, and your group talks about how, after all this time, humans still haven't found a way to plug up the holes the Locusts make when they come to attack.

00:44:34.693 --> 00:44:36.933
Every hole they destroy, another just opens up.

00:44:37.553 --> 00:44:38.873
So they kind of just stop trying.

00:44:39.373 --> 00:44:42.333
Do you think there is a groundhog problem in North Carolina?

00:44:43.193 --> 00:44:44.913
That might be the issue, yeah.

00:44:45.433 --> 00:44:52.073
I know that you're obviously very in the thick of it with this war, but there's some echoes of human truth in this.

00:44:54.173 --> 00:44:56.733
Every time I get one, another pops up.

00:44:56.753 --> 00:44:59.733
Another goddamn groundhog comes up.

00:45:00.033 --> 00:45:01.413
It's the groundhog hydra.

00:45:01.533 --> 00:45:05.813
Yeah, I feel like North Carolina is a place where you can actually afford a home with a big lawn.

00:45:05.833 --> 00:45:09.593
They're just like, I'm trying to make a cool deck.

00:45:09.613 --> 00:45:10.313
What the fuck?

00:45:10.533 --> 00:45:14.253
Carmine says he used to have nightmares about the locusts as a kid.

00:45:15.693 --> 00:45:19.253
The rest of you look at him like, how old are you?

00:45:20.033 --> 00:45:22.353
Because E-Day happened when you were all adults.

00:45:23.833 --> 00:45:28.693
But Dom being the chillest fucking guy in the world just goes, I still have those nightmares.

00:45:29.093 --> 00:45:30.693
He's just like, honestly same.

00:45:30.713 --> 00:45:31.793
It still sucks, huh?

00:45:32.533 --> 00:45:38.013
That's actually one of the things that makes Gears of War so special, the little side conversations you have throughout the game.

00:45:38.553 --> 00:45:41.213
I love these charming moments between characters.

00:45:41.233 --> 00:45:45.173
It may not feel like it adds to the story, but it adds to the atmosphere.

00:45:45.193 --> 00:45:47.433
It adds to your intimacy with the characters.

00:45:47.453 --> 00:45:48.433
It makes you care more.

00:45:48.453 --> 00:45:49.553
I really enjoy that too.

00:45:49.833 --> 00:45:55.693
And I feel like a lot of people often look at like Rockstar Game as really being the leader in side talk from characters during missions.

00:45:56.753 --> 00:45:59.413
But Gears of War ran so Rockstar could fly.

00:45:59.573 --> 00:46:00.033
Absolutely.

00:46:00.053 --> 00:46:01.333
This is still 2007.

00:46:01.353 --> 00:46:11.273
This is six years before The Last of Us came out, and people talk about Joel and Ellie's conversations as what makes the game and makes you fall in love with everything and gets you on Joel's side for the end, you know?

00:46:11.693 --> 00:46:16.613
And just like that, the friendship between Dom and Marcus is fucking incredible.

00:46:16.753 --> 00:46:17.593
Oh, I love that.

00:46:17.673 --> 00:46:20.413
You really get this sense of brotherly love between the two.

00:46:20.913 --> 00:46:21.873
Dom loves family.

00:46:22.413 --> 00:46:24.973
Especially when you play this game in co-op.

00:46:25.833 --> 00:46:30.773
And even more so if you're playing with your actual best friend, which I did when it was released.

00:46:30.873 --> 00:46:32.793
I was just going to ask if you got that experience.

00:46:33.073 --> 00:46:33.333
Oh.

00:46:34.113 --> 00:46:46.513
Their bond becomes so cemented and real to you because unlike most co-op games, the other playable character is as much a full and rounded character as the main protagonist.

00:46:46.633 --> 00:46:47.593
That's really cool.

00:46:47.713 --> 00:46:53.333
So unlike, say, Halo, where you can play as Master Chief and other Spartan.

00:46:55.413 --> 00:46:59.653
Is that really just what you have to work with, Master Chief or Spartan?

00:47:00.013 --> 00:47:01.713
Yeah, it's just the other Spartan.

00:47:01.733 --> 00:47:03.213
That's who the second player is.

00:47:03.233 --> 00:47:04.193
That's really funny.

00:47:04.913 --> 00:47:11.693
Gears gives us two fully visualized and crafted characters to play, and it really set itself apart from other games in that regard.

00:47:13.273 --> 00:47:19.453
Especially because it was one of the first co-op games that allowed you to play from two different locations.

00:47:20.153 --> 00:47:20.513
Wow.

00:47:21.193 --> 00:47:23.273
This is a very revolutionary game.

00:47:23.533 --> 00:47:26.153
In so many more ways than just one or two.

00:47:26.173 --> 00:47:28.453
At every turn, you're like, and then they invented this.

00:47:29.033 --> 00:47:31.013
Holy shit.

00:47:31.033 --> 00:47:35.173
Prior to this, couch co-op was kind of the only option available in gaming.

00:47:35.233 --> 00:47:38.273
And you say couch co-op, that's like a Mario Kart.

00:47:38.513 --> 00:47:43.173
Yeah, a Mario Kart, but you literally have to be playing on the same system to play the game.

00:47:43.173 --> 00:47:43.613
Right.

00:47:44.393 --> 00:47:48.593
Online PVP was normal by now, as this game had an incredible online PVP as well.

00:47:49.393 --> 00:47:53.053
But the main campaign, online co-op, was unheard of really.

00:47:53.213 --> 00:47:55.893
Co-op was only invented so your annoying sibling could play.

00:47:57.493 --> 00:48:02.673
Very few had ever written a story that made the second player as important as the first before.

00:48:03.553 --> 00:48:09.213
They also did some other incredible things that no other game had done, like splitting up the two characters.

00:48:09.413 --> 00:48:10.973
Oh, so you're not on the same screen?

00:48:11.453 --> 00:48:20.113
Yeah, at one point, there's a fork in the road, and Lieutenant Kim sends you and Carmine down one path, while he and Dom go down the other.

00:48:20.533 --> 00:48:28.473
Oh, so for a full real experience of knowing what's happening on both ends, you really do have to be with a friend and be like, okay, so on my side, we got this.

00:48:28.853 --> 00:48:32.473
Right, and if you want to see both sides, you can play as the second player another round.

00:48:32.573 --> 00:48:33.353
That's cool.

00:48:33.673 --> 00:48:39.173
So yeah, they each go on their own separate adventures for part of the story, only to meet up later when the two converge again.

00:48:40.493 --> 00:48:44.113
Once the two teams reconverge, you kill a ton of locusts and proceed forward.

00:48:44.933 --> 00:48:48.133
You make it outdoors, and Carmine runs up to the lieutenant with a problem.

00:48:48.873 --> 00:48:50.793
His gun is jammed, and he can't get it to work.

00:48:51.753 --> 00:48:57.613
Everyone is crouched for cover behind a wall, and Carmine stands up to hand his gun over to Lieutenant Kim so he can see what's wrong with it.

00:48:58.893 --> 00:49:01.233
And standing is the worst thing Carmine could have done.

00:49:01.253 --> 00:49:02.713
I immediately got nervous.

00:49:02.953 --> 00:49:11.153
His head vanishes in a cloud of red mist, and a locust sniper can be seen in the distance as Carmine's body falls to the ground.

00:49:11.813 --> 00:49:14.013
Oh, just there one moment gone the next?

00:49:14.413 --> 00:49:16.153
Yeah, poor Carmine.

00:49:16.793 --> 00:49:17.893
Oh, that sucks.

00:49:18.093 --> 00:49:23.773
The three of you kill the locusts and continue onward through the rubble of the city you're in, looking for signs of Alpha Squad.

00:49:24.873 --> 00:49:30.393
As you round a corner, you hear a battle going on, and Lieutenant Kim says, well, I think we just found Alpha Squad.

00:49:30.413 --> 00:49:31.013
There you go.

00:49:31.513 --> 00:49:33.333
We can hear a man yelling, get some!

00:49:33.773 --> 00:49:38.033
And you look out over a courtyard and go, holy shit, it's just one guy.

00:49:39.093 --> 00:49:40.533
Just one lunatic?

00:49:40.673 --> 00:49:46.793
And this dude is single-handedly slaughtering the locusts, like shit-talking them the whole time.

00:49:46.993 --> 00:49:47.973
Oh, hell yeah.

00:49:48.393 --> 00:49:51.933
You help him take out the remaining locusts, and Lieutenant Kim asks for his name.

00:49:52.473 --> 00:49:55.273
He says he's Private Augustus Cole of Alpha Squad.

00:49:55.633 --> 00:49:56.493
Hell yeah.

00:49:56.553 --> 00:49:58.253
That's how he's Alpha Squad, bitch.

00:49:58.453 --> 00:50:00.013
This is the character that Rasta played.

00:50:00.313 --> 00:50:01.733
Oh, I love everything about this.

00:50:01.753 --> 00:50:04.513
Just dick-swinging, having a great time.

00:50:04.613 --> 00:50:05.193
Fuck you.

00:50:05.853 --> 00:50:09.473
Yeah, he's just as large as the rest of your group, maybe a little bigger.

00:50:10.333 --> 00:50:19.433
And while I and every person who plays this game loves Cole, you can't help but criticize the fact that he is a video game stereotype of that era.

00:50:19.973 --> 00:50:20.193
Oh.

00:50:20.693 --> 00:50:25.373
He's the big, beefy, fun-loving, shit-talking black man that only speaks in catchphrases.

00:50:25.633 --> 00:50:26.453
Oh, no.

00:50:26.853 --> 00:50:30.033
Yeah, so like, think Barrett in Final Fantasy VII.

00:50:31.213 --> 00:50:39.233
Fortunately, this trope died out shortly after this game, and we have seen much better representation both in this series and in video games as a whole.

00:50:39.793 --> 00:50:41.813
We love to see progress, and so does Epic.

00:50:42.353 --> 00:50:45.073
Cole very much grows as a character as the series goes as well.

00:50:45.433 --> 00:50:51.453
I like that you are confirming that Cole is an ongoing character in the franchise too, which makes me very happy.

00:50:52.113 --> 00:50:57.933
You know, I'm not gonna go too far into who lives, who dies, and who tells the story, but at the same time, yeah, Cole sticks around.

00:50:58.013 --> 00:50:58.633
Hell, yeah.

00:50:58.813 --> 00:51:02.653
This dude's Asian booked him so much work off of booking one commercial.

00:51:03.613 --> 00:51:04.013
Right?

00:51:04.033 --> 00:51:05.933
Look, that's just impressive, you know?

00:51:06.193 --> 00:51:21.533
Well, despite the stereotype aspect, Cole is many people's favorite character in the series, including Dom, because after hearing Cole's name, he goes, wait, Augustus Cole, as in the Cole Train Smash Ball Champion?

00:51:22.613 --> 00:51:23.873
Cole Train.

00:51:24.153 --> 00:51:27.793
Turns out Cole was famous before E-Day as a professional athlete.

00:51:28.093 --> 00:51:29.013
Oh, hell yeah.

00:51:29.253 --> 00:51:35.013
Dom asks you, remember when we saw him play in the finals, which makes Cole go, everyone wants to see the train, baby.

00:51:36.753 --> 00:51:40.693
Which we'll hear Cole say some variation of about a thousand times in this game.

00:51:40.773 --> 00:51:42.693
I bet it's kind of charming every time though.

00:51:43.053 --> 00:51:45.453
It can be charming, and sometimes it's a little much.

00:51:45.993 --> 00:51:46.513
Fair enough.

00:51:46.613 --> 00:51:52.813
Because I hope that Rasta got paid for every time he said the train and baby in this game, because it would mean he made a fortune.

00:51:55.553 --> 00:52:00.133
You respond to Dom's question saying, yeah, and you still owe me 20 bucks for betting against his team.

00:52:00.713 --> 00:52:01.393
Oh, shit.

00:52:01.613 --> 00:52:02.973
Call him the fuck out, right?

00:52:02.993 --> 00:52:03.953
Yeah, in front of Cole?

00:52:03.973 --> 00:52:04.473
Hell yeah.

00:52:06.113 --> 00:52:08.453
Cole says the rest of Alpha Squad is hiding nearby.

00:52:08.973 --> 00:52:12.673
They've been trying to radio for help, but the locusts are jamming all the transmissions.

00:52:13.593 --> 00:52:19.033
They couldn't get to where they needed to go for the resonator and decided to try and escape so they can regroup and try again.

00:52:19.053 --> 00:52:19.713
Fair enough.

00:52:20.153 --> 00:52:22.273
Cole was out here trying to get a radio signal.

00:52:23.073 --> 00:52:27.333
Your group decides the best course of action would be to take out the locusts blocking the transmissions.

00:52:28.453 --> 00:52:33.813
Once you have the communication open again, you should be able to get an extraction team in there or at least some backup.

00:52:34.373 --> 00:52:38.813
As you fight your way to the transmission jammers, you find a weapon near some dead soldiers.

00:52:40.013 --> 00:52:42.373
The weapon is called the Hammer of Dawn.

00:52:42.793 --> 00:52:44.213
I love the weapon names in this.

00:52:44.533 --> 00:52:45.713
They're pretty great, right?

00:52:45.733 --> 00:52:46.213
Yeah.

00:52:46.393 --> 00:52:47.633
The Hammer of Dawn?

00:52:48.213 --> 00:52:49.053
Holy shit.

00:52:49.773 --> 00:52:54.953
It only works outdoors as it is a device that gives you a special laser pointer.

00:52:56.153 --> 00:53:02.613
Wherever you point that laser will cause a light beam to descend from the sky, frying whatever it is you're pointing the laser at.

00:53:02.813 --> 00:53:04.153
Oh my God.

00:53:04.493 --> 00:53:13.973
And the lasers come from satellites orbiting the planet, and they use the sun's rays to create a laser much the same, I don't know, a magnifying glass does on a mountain of ants.

00:53:14.313 --> 00:53:15.873
Holy shit, that's great.

00:53:16.013 --> 00:53:18.313
There's a lot of bug energy here.

00:53:18.553 --> 00:53:18.973
Right?

00:53:18.993 --> 00:53:28.213
Which again, I can't help but think of this as like insect scale, which makes the satellites that much funnier to me because they're just a bunch of kids running around with magnifying glasses.

00:53:28.233 --> 00:53:28.633
Yeah.

00:53:30.153 --> 00:53:35.473
The Hammer of Dawn also won't work all the time, as it requires the satellites to be in position at the time.

00:53:36.013 --> 00:53:41.713
So these space lasers are the weapons they used to scorch the earth back in the day, thinking it would wipe out the locusts.

00:53:42.653 --> 00:53:54.713
You use the Hammer of Dawn to take out a giant insect creature that's jamming the radios, and when it kills the creature, you get a weak signal from your home base, and you tell them you need to take out a couple more to get a full strong signal.

00:53:56.193 --> 00:54:04.733
On the way, you find a horribly mutilated corpse, and Cole recognized him as a member of Alpha Squad, a man named Rojas.

00:54:05.233 --> 00:54:06.033
Ugh, that sucks.

00:54:06.593 --> 00:54:12.153
Looking at the corpse of Rojas, Dom says that maybe he should have left you in that prison cell after all.

00:54:12.613 --> 00:54:12.873
Oh.

00:54:13.973 --> 00:54:16.833
You destroy all signal jammers and have a clear line to Anya.

00:54:17.353 --> 00:54:20.533
She says she has Alpha Squad on the line and patches you through to them.

00:54:21.633 --> 00:54:26.893
Turns out they're not far from you, but they're under siege, so you agree to flank the locusts, keeping them trapped.

00:54:28.033 --> 00:54:31.733
Cole recognizes the voice on the radio and says, Baird, the train's coming for you, baby.

00:54:33.813 --> 00:54:36.733
As you make your way towards them, you enter a grand cathedral.

00:54:37.573 --> 00:54:39.893
Is this all still underground or is this on the surface?

00:54:40.093 --> 00:54:41.353
Mostly underground, yeah.

00:54:41.533 --> 00:54:42.173
That's cool.

00:54:42.193 --> 00:54:43.813
An underground cathedral is so goth.

00:54:44.533 --> 00:54:48.513
Yeah, there's a big round table in the center, like the Arthurian legend.

00:54:48.873 --> 00:54:50.293
Oh, the Knights of the Round Table?

00:54:50.313 --> 00:54:51.133
Very cool.

00:54:51.233 --> 00:54:55.533
Yeah, and the table is surrounded by 30-foot statues of great men.

00:54:56.093 --> 00:54:58.553
And Lieutenant Kim calls this a sacred place.

00:54:59.393 --> 00:55:01.593
And you say that it's a sacred place of lies.

00:55:01.913 --> 00:55:04.973
Okay, Edgelord, he came straight out with that.

00:55:05.833 --> 00:55:07.873
Lieutenant Kim tells you to watch your fucking mouth.

00:55:08.553 --> 00:55:10.793
Even though he's working with you, he doesn't trust you.

00:55:10.813 --> 00:55:12.553
He's read the transcripts of your trial.

00:55:13.453 --> 00:55:14.733
You're a loose cannon.

00:55:15.313 --> 00:55:23.893
To which Baird of Alpha Squad says, over the radio, that trial was a sham, sir, but no time for arguing, because the locust you're flanking, you're just ahead.

00:55:24.433 --> 00:55:31.093
You sneak up on one and chainsaw his ass in half, then take over his machine gun turret and turn it on the locust down below.

00:55:32.153 --> 00:55:34.933
You clear the area so Alpha Squad can come out into the open.

00:55:35.693 --> 00:55:41.413
Lieutenant Kim calls for an escape chopper, and Cole says those things make him puke his guts out every time.

00:55:41.553 --> 00:55:42.953
Oh, this will be fun then, great.

00:55:43.173 --> 00:55:45.213
Yeah, and Dom goes, well, you can sit next to Marcus.

00:55:46.813 --> 00:55:47.753
Marcus, you be in the middle.

00:55:47.773 --> 00:55:48.173
Fuck you.

00:55:49.233 --> 00:55:54.873
I love that they're just like childhood best friends who clearly grew up with a passion for war.

00:55:55.033 --> 00:55:55.393
Right?

00:55:55.413 --> 00:55:57.953
You know, like their jib jab is very sweet.

00:55:58.913 --> 00:55:59.773
Great chemistry.

00:56:00.233 --> 00:56:05.633
Baird approaches Cole and gives him the resonator, which is a gigantic metal backpack basically.

00:56:06.733 --> 00:56:11.393
Baird asks about Rojas, and Cole just holds up his cog tags in response.

00:56:11.973 --> 00:56:12.193
Oh.

00:56:12.893 --> 00:56:17.913
The rest of Alpha Squad joins your group, and you all look around for the helicopter being sent to rescue you.

00:56:19.073 --> 00:56:21.493
You see it flying between buildings heading to your location.

00:56:21.653 --> 00:56:23.073
I don't feel good about this.

00:56:23.853 --> 00:56:32.253
Well, you shouldn't, because what your group can't see, but the camera shows you, is the choppers being chased by a swarm of running locust forces.

00:56:32.673 --> 00:56:33.333
Oh shit.

00:56:33.953 --> 00:56:35.973
Some of which are also flying hollow creatures.

00:56:37.173 --> 00:56:48.093
As the helicopter approaches, the flying creatures slam into the helicopter, and it crashes into the side of a building exploding before your eyes, killing a bunch of Alpha Squad members in the process.

00:56:48.373 --> 00:56:48.573
Ugh.

00:56:49.793 --> 00:56:52.533
All hell breaks loose, and the remaining Gears start fighting.

00:56:53.373 --> 00:56:54.913
Lieutenant Kim says to watch out.

00:56:55.213 --> 00:56:57.353
The locusts are flanking and surrounding the squad.

00:56:58.033 --> 00:56:59.633
Too bad he didn't take his own advice.

00:57:00.333 --> 00:57:10.433
As we see a seven and a half foot tall, cotton-con looking Locust general named Rom walk up slowly behind Lieutenant Kim.

00:57:10.713 --> 00:57:11.213
Hmm.

00:57:11.853 --> 00:57:16.213
Lieutenant Kim turns and fires up his chainsaw, swinging it at the locust leader.

00:57:17.353 --> 00:57:22.373
And this fucking dude catches the chainsaw in his bare hand jamming it up.

00:57:22.753 --> 00:57:25.513
That is the scariest fucking thing you can ever see.

00:57:25.993 --> 00:57:26.653
Oh, God.

00:57:27.473 --> 00:57:31.273
The locust queen voice from the beginning of the game starts speaking over the scene.

00:57:32.493 --> 00:57:35.753
She says she is pleased with the progress being made by the locusts.

00:57:36.773 --> 00:57:40.693
They found the backup squad, and that the strategy isn't going to change.

00:57:41.993 --> 00:57:45.093
Cut off the head of the snake, and the body dies.

00:57:46.433 --> 00:57:53.893
As she says this, Rom throws the lancer assault rifle to the side, and lifts Lieutenant Kim high in the air by the throat.

00:57:54.973 --> 00:57:58.693
Rom then shoves a giant blade into the stomach of Lieutenant Kim.

00:58:00.853 --> 00:58:05.553
You watch as Rom tosses Lieutenant Kim's body to the ground, and you turn to blast him.

00:58:06.593 --> 00:58:08.213
But Dom says that's not the mission.

00:58:08.773 --> 00:58:12.793
You're here for the resonator, which you have now, so you need to get the fuck out of here.

00:58:13.773 --> 00:58:15.793
They said, but you have the flag, go!

00:58:16.753 --> 00:58:21.293
Your remaining squad retreats into an abandoned building, where you barricade the doors and regroup.

00:58:22.893 --> 00:58:31.893
This group of 48-year-old privates, the lowest rank in the military, Wait, you make it sound like they're like seniors on JV.

00:58:31.933 --> 00:58:33.113
Yeah, they basically are.

00:58:33.153 --> 00:58:33.893
Oh shit.

00:58:34.093 --> 00:58:35.473
And they are now leaderless.

00:58:36.333 --> 00:58:38.653
And you radio back to Anya to inform her so.

00:58:39.533 --> 00:58:42.053
And she goes, well, shit.

00:58:42.493 --> 00:58:42.853
Yeah.

00:58:43.513 --> 00:58:51.233
He was the only one who knew where to go next in your group, since all of this is classified information, and now nobody on your team has security clearance.

00:58:52.673 --> 00:58:58.513
So she tells you information as you need it, saying there's a courtyard on the other side of the building and to head there.

00:58:59.313 --> 00:59:02.413
That must be really dangerous, too, to be doing it on, like, radio comms.

00:59:02.433 --> 00:59:04.953
So she has to be very specific about what she can say.

00:59:05.053 --> 00:59:05.493
Right.

00:59:05.513 --> 00:59:08.393
She can't speak in code because they don't know the answers to the code.

00:59:08.513 --> 00:59:13.433
Yeah, I'm sympathetic to the communication issues of her only trickling out information at certain checkpoints.

00:59:14.293 --> 00:59:19.373
And Baird thinks that he should be in charge, since he was leading Alpha Squad after the death of their leader.

00:59:20.233 --> 00:59:25.453
And again, testosterone spraying everywhere, as this group of literal alphas decides who should be in charge.

00:59:25.693 --> 00:59:27.113
They're also dummies, though.

00:59:29.293 --> 00:59:33.733
I apologize, these are big beefy boys, but they're still just privates?

00:59:33.913 --> 00:59:35.793
Yeah, they're not the smartest ones in the group.

00:59:35.853 --> 00:59:37.733
No, these are the C's get to grease boys.

00:59:38.673 --> 00:59:42.653
Well, the argument is interrupted by a deep, guttural growl in the distance.

00:59:43.193 --> 00:59:43.773
Ruh-oh.

00:59:44.213 --> 00:59:46.233
You ask, what the fuck is that?

00:59:46.673 --> 00:59:47.693
Were they saying fuck?

00:59:48.333 --> 00:59:48.873
Sometimes.

00:59:50.073 --> 00:59:54.433
So it was edgy to the point where they're like, no, no, you can swear, like truly live in the scene.

00:59:54.453 --> 00:59:55.493
That's actually really cool.

00:59:55.513 --> 00:59:57.773
Yeah, there were guts flying everywhere.

00:59:57.793 --> 00:59:59.233
They didn't care about saying fuck.

00:59:59.433 --> 01:00:04.313
Don't you just hate when you see like war, like intense scenes and they're like, what the heck?

01:00:04.433 --> 01:00:05.513
What the frick, man?

01:00:05.733 --> 01:00:07.093
You are being a real jerk.

01:00:07.113 --> 01:00:08.353
And you're like, what the fuck?

01:00:08.353 --> 01:00:11.593
Son of a binky bonky, that hurt.

01:00:12.013 --> 01:00:15.193
You know, that's super regular fucking thing that people say.

01:00:16.233 --> 01:00:17.153
Yeah, entirely.

01:00:17.633 --> 01:00:22.273
I called someone an inbred cunt in a parking lot the other day.

01:00:22.293 --> 01:00:25.853
Because she backed up her car towards mine.

01:00:25.873 --> 01:00:29.053
Like, maybe that's a me issue, actually.

01:00:29.073 --> 01:00:29.593
Never mind.

01:00:30.493 --> 01:00:36.873
Well, after you ask what the fuck is that, Baird responds that it's a berserker and that she can smell you.

01:00:37.373 --> 01:00:38.853
So there will be no hiding from her.

01:00:39.093 --> 01:00:39.853
Oh shit.

01:00:40.213 --> 01:00:44.393
We next get to see this berserker being poorly restrained by two locust soldiers.

01:00:45.473 --> 01:00:48.433
And the berserker is basically the abomination from the MCU.

01:00:48.753 --> 01:00:49.273
Oh shit.

01:00:49.293 --> 01:00:50.513
Can you describe what that looks like?

01:00:50.533 --> 01:00:51.633
Yeah, the evil Hulk.

01:00:51.673 --> 01:01:00.493
So it's like eight feet tall, just all muscle, like 380 pounds, just gonna fucking destroy anything it touches.

01:01:00.573 --> 01:01:03.133
Ooh, bipedal, like gnarly motherfucker.

01:01:03.153 --> 01:01:07.113
Yeah, standing on two legs and just running and destroying anything that it hits.

01:01:07.373 --> 01:01:08.053
Oh shit.

01:01:08.673 --> 01:01:09.953
It's the juggernaut, bitch.

01:01:10.153 --> 01:01:10.753
Yeah.

01:01:10.813 --> 01:01:13.613
The berserker kills the two locusts holding it.

01:01:13.633 --> 01:01:14.773
Oh shit.

01:01:14.973 --> 01:01:16.453
And then charges down a hall.

01:01:16.593 --> 01:01:19.273
That's actually really cool that it's like fuck all of y'all.

01:01:19.593 --> 01:01:21.353
And we're presuming this is in your direction.

01:01:22.573 --> 01:01:27.613
One of the Alpha Squad members starts freaking out, saying they need to get out of here, and they run off down a hallway.

01:01:28.693 --> 01:01:35.373
As they turn down the hall out of sight, we see the shadow of the berserker and the shadow of the Alpha Squad member.

01:01:35.653 --> 01:01:37.653
Oh, what a good horror movie moment.

01:01:37.873 --> 01:01:39.293
And they come face to face.

01:01:40.633 --> 01:01:44.973
We see the shadows merge and blend as the berserker rips the man into tiny pieces.

01:01:46.053 --> 01:01:49.793
Oh, yes, that silhouetting is just perfect horror movie shit.

01:01:51.013 --> 01:01:54.073
Yeah, you figure that should keep it occupied for the time being.

01:01:54.873 --> 01:01:57.313
And Anya tells you to find a way to get it outside.

01:01:57.953 --> 01:02:02.153
Once outside, the Hammer of Dawn should be able to do the rest, as your bullets won't work on this thing.

01:02:03.393 --> 01:02:09.173
The two of you have to play that final level of Bendy and the Ink Machine here, as you lure the berserker into chasing you through some hallways.

01:02:09.973 --> 01:02:15.553
And it turns it into a charging bull with you as the matador, trying to lure it into smashing through the doors to the outside.

01:02:16.373 --> 01:02:18.933
You eventually do, and then drop the hammer on her ass.

01:02:19.893 --> 01:02:22.653
And you regroup with Baird and Cole and call in to Anya.

01:02:23.213 --> 01:02:26.013
She says, Please hold for Colonel Hoffman.

01:02:26.693 --> 01:02:28.953
The Colonel gets on the line and he's like, Wait, really?

01:02:29.413 --> 01:02:31.633
You have the Resonator and Alpha Squad with you?

01:02:31.653 --> 01:02:33.453
Don't sound so surprised.

01:02:33.893 --> 01:02:39.093
Yeah, he's very surprised, because when you confirm it, he says, Okay, standby for new orders.

01:02:39.513 --> 01:02:42.213
Oh, shit, he wasn't expecting you to do well.

01:02:42.713 --> 01:02:46.273
Yeah, he is shocked that you are still alive and are on target to complete the mission.

01:02:47.133 --> 01:02:54.093
He gets back on with a new location to set the Resonator, and finishes by saying that you're now in charge, Sergeant Fenix.

01:02:54.393 --> 01:02:54.893
Ooh.

01:02:55.493 --> 01:02:57.053
And Baird is all, Really?

01:02:57.073 --> 01:02:57.973
Him?

01:02:58.713 --> 01:03:02.293
Baird says it's almost nightfall, so you guys need to get somewhere safe ASAP.

01:03:03.353 --> 01:03:08.693
You don't understand why nightfall matters, and Baird goes, Sure, give the promotion to the jackass instead of the smart one.

01:03:10.853 --> 01:03:15.813
The two of you are about to go at it when Cole and Dom step in to break it up, saying that you need to get moving.

01:03:16.693 --> 01:03:20.073
This takes us into act two, nightfall.

01:03:20.693 --> 01:03:24.233
You make it inside a big building, and once again have to split up.

01:03:24.753 --> 01:03:28.033
You take asshole Baird with you while Cole and Dom go a different way.

01:03:28.853 --> 01:03:33.553
The whole time Baird and you argue and fight, while Dom and Cole giggle at the two of you over the radios.

01:03:34.113 --> 01:03:36.573
You all fight your way through and eventually reconvene.

01:03:37.553 --> 01:03:42.393
You all agree you need a way out of here, and Dom says he knows a guy nearby with a vehicle.

01:03:42.993 --> 01:03:44.773
It's a junker, but it still runs.

01:03:46.053 --> 01:03:53.893
Baird starts asking questions about this nearby guy, calling him a stranded, which are people not involved with the war effort.

01:03:55.113 --> 01:03:59.173
As far as most people are concerned, you're either fighting in this war or you're dead.

01:03:59.953 --> 01:04:02.493
People shouldn't be taking a neutral stance right now.

01:04:02.593 --> 01:04:03.053
Yeah.

01:04:03.613 --> 01:04:09.133
So Baird asks Dom why he would associate with Stranded, and Dom shoots back that he doesn't.

01:04:09.793 --> 01:04:13.613
He was here on a scouting mission once, and he found a community of Stranded in the process.

01:04:14.493 --> 01:04:16.353
He met the guy then and noticed the junker.

01:04:16.373 --> 01:04:18.013
It's not like he's friends with these cowards.

01:04:18.873 --> 01:04:22.093
You fight your way to this community of Stranded right as the sun begins to set.

01:04:23.073 --> 01:04:28.693
When you get there, it's a shanty town built into the ruins of blown out buildings under bridges and tunnels.

01:04:28.933 --> 01:04:35.853
Yeah, does he both kind of have to live away from society and some sort of counterculture if they're not participating in the main discussion?

01:04:36.433 --> 01:04:45.333
Yeah, and it's what you think of when you think of a shanty town with barrels of fire, plywood walls, hanging lights lining the streets, couches outside, that kind of thing.

01:04:45.353 --> 01:04:46.453
Yeah, we're making do.

01:04:46.473 --> 01:04:51.913
Yeah, and the people here are also normal sized humans, unlike you four gigantic motherfuckers.

01:04:51.933 --> 01:04:54.793
There's a lot of five, six motherfuckers in the audience here.

01:04:54.893 --> 01:04:57.013
Yeah, there's a lot of people built like me out there.

01:04:57.073 --> 01:04:58.853
Okay, some medium sized men.

01:04:59.053 --> 01:05:10.273
Yeah, to compensate for their lack of size, they're all armed to the teeth, and they watch your group walk through their makeshift town as you head to see Dom's friend with a car, a man named Franklin.

01:05:11.233 --> 01:05:15.113
You finally find Franklin, and he's hanging out on an outdoor couch with a group of cronies.

01:05:16.893 --> 01:05:21.633
He sees Dom and says that he still hasn't found the girl Dom's looking for and to get out of here.

01:05:21.653 --> 01:05:22.953
He'll get in touch if he finds her.

01:05:24.453 --> 01:05:27.993
The last thing he needs is for people to think he associates with Gears.

01:05:30.273 --> 01:05:36.493
I appreciate that they're both fronting a little, but I'd like to think there is a friendship here of like, okay, well, if you see my girl, can you call me?

01:05:36.613 --> 01:05:38.373
There is fully a friendship here.

01:05:38.433 --> 01:05:42.153
They are both completely bullshitting for the sake of the people watching.

01:05:42.153 --> 01:05:43.313
That's so funny.

01:05:44.433 --> 01:05:45.953
Dom says that's not why he's here.

01:05:46.193 --> 01:05:47.133
He needs the junker.

01:05:47.473 --> 01:05:48.633
Franklin says, fuck that.

01:05:48.633 --> 01:05:51.353
He's not giving up the only working vehicle in the city.

01:05:52.273 --> 01:05:57.133
Dom grabs him and says Franklin owes him a favor, and he's cashing that in right now.

01:05:57.413 --> 01:05:59.573
Ooh, on our friendship, man.

01:06:00.393 --> 01:06:04.673
And Franklin's cronies raise their guns due to the aggressiveness of the right now.

01:06:04.993 --> 01:06:09.053
But Franklin calms them, saying that Dom can have the car on one condition.

01:06:10.173 --> 01:06:13.313
Baird and Cole have to stay as collateral until Dom can return.

01:06:14.253 --> 01:06:20.573
If Dom's gonna take the only means of escape he has, then he'll need the extra firepower if shit goes down while you're out driving around.

01:06:21.333 --> 01:06:22.773
I think that's actually very fair.

01:06:24.493 --> 01:06:27.173
He tosses Dom some keys and says, Good luck.

01:06:27.333 --> 01:06:30.633
It's at Chaps gas station a few miles away, and then laughs at you.

01:06:32.073 --> 01:06:37.373
Baird and Cole yell at the two of you for this deal over your radios, because they are not happy about being left behind.

01:06:38.413 --> 01:06:44.473
By now, it's fully dark, and we find out there are certain hollow creatures that only come out at night.

01:06:44.713 --> 01:06:45.653
Oh, of course they are.

01:06:45.673 --> 01:06:46.333
Are they bats?

01:06:46.753 --> 01:06:48.113
They're basically bats.

01:06:48.113 --> 01:06:48.693
Yes!

01:06:49.133 --> 01:06:51.933
Oh, I was just thinking of what the scariest nocturnal animal could be.

01:06:51.953 --> 01:06:53.733
Yeah, they're called the krill.

01:06:54.473 --> 01:07:02.633
And yeah, they're bat-like creatures, and they attack kind of like piranhas and gigantic fucking numbers and can swarm and kill you in seconds.

01:07:02.733 --> 01:07:03.613
I don't like that.

01:07:04.393 --> 01:07:09.813
Problem being, they're very sensitive to any form of light, so they can only attack in darkness.

01:07:10.853 --> 01:07:13.293
If light hits them for too long, they explode.

01:07:13.693 --> 01:07:15.873
Is that what happens in FNAF if you use the flashlight?

01:07:16.333 --> 01:07:17.193
I wish, right?

01:07:17.773 --> 01:07:19.813
Yeah, they're basically vampire bats.

01:07:20.473 --> 01:07:23.953
Which means you need to stay in well-lit areas if you hope to make it to Chaps.

01:07:25.373 --> 01:07:32.993
You fight your way to the gas station as sections of the Shantytown are not well protected at night, with locusts and krill attacking you constantly.

01:07:34.613 --> 01:07:47.513
Nightfall really takes this campy action game and turns it into a horror game with the introduction of the krill, and you check in with Baird from time to time and he says that everyone in the Shantytown figured out that Cole is THE Cole Train.

01:07:51.533 --> 01:07:53.953
So now everyone is just fangirling over him.

01:07:54.553 --> 01:08:02.573
I appreciate that no matter where he goes and no matter what sect of the world he's in, he's like, they're gonna know me, I'm gonna fucking let him know who I am.

01:08:02.933 --> 01:08:10.313
You know, like these outsiders who have actively taken themselves away from it are like, okay, but before the war, this motherfucker could hit a ball.

01:08:11.553 --> 01:08:14.353
And when he gets to the locusts, he's like, I'm the Cole Train.

01:08:14.413 --> 01:08:16.993
I'm gonna explain my character loud, you know?

01:08:17.733 --> 01:08:21.773
It's a great character study of someone who will always have their story told.

01:08:21.813 --> 01:08:22.853
That's true, right?

01:08:22.873 --> 01:08:24.753
If you don't know me, you're gonna fucking know me.

01:08:24.773 --> 01:08:25.433
Absolutely.

01:08:25.453 --> 01:08:29.513
Well, Baird hates not being the center of attention, so he's fucking miserable.

01:08:30.513 --> 01:08:37.893
He's just your asshole friend who needs the attention at all times, and then you have the TikTok famous friend that people actually want to talk to.

01:08:37.893 --> 01:08:39.893
Yeah, the one who actually has the charisma for it.

01:08:40.953 --> 01:08:42.693
Cole says they even cooked them a big dinner.

01:08:42.713 --> 01:08:44.353
He can't see why Baird is so miserable.

01:08:44.493 --> 01:08:47.053
Cole is literally being wined and dined by these people.

01:08:47.393 --> 01:08:50.953
To which Baird says, they're going to get dysentery over this shit.

01:08:51.233 --> 01:08:54.713
I feel like this is what Terry Crews should have made his persona.

01:08:55.413 --> 01:09:01.873
Instead of being a loving father and dedicated partner and incredible work ethic guy, he should have been this.

01:09:01.893 --> 01:09:03.013
This would have been fucking funny.

01:09:04.133 --> 01:09:08.613
Just taking those Old Spice commercials to heart and been like, whatever, I can move my pectorals.

01:09:09.233 --> 01:09:13.413
Well, I like that dysentery is a nice little nod to one of the most classic and famous video games of all time.

01:09:13.513 --> 01:09:14.033
Oh shit.

01:09:14.093 --> 01:09:14.993
But more on that later.

01:09:15.633 --> 01:09:21.453
You make it to a checkpoint on the way to the gas station and watch as a light above the people manning the checkpoint breaks.

01:09:22.293 --> 01:09:22.653
Uh oh.

01:09:23.033 --> 01:09:25.333
They are all instantly devoured by the krill.

01:09:26.633 --> 01:09:31.393
You let the people back at the shanty town know that the krill are on the way and to make sure all the lights are working.

01:09:32.393 --> 01:09:34.093
But you still need to head to the gas station.

01:09:35.213 --> 01:09:39.433
You come up to a straightaway completely covered in darkness as the power is out in this section.

01:09:39.573 --> 01:09:40.813
Oh, now you're an outlast.

01:09:41.373 --> 01:09:41.713
Right.

01:09:43.093 --> 01:09:47.093
You see a spotlight high up in a building and tell Dom to wait there while you run up to it.

01:09:47.613 --> 01:09:52.673
Once there, you use the spotlight to guide Dom down the street into the building across the way.

01:09:53.673 --> 01:09:59.333
When he gets inside the building, he's able to turn the power back on lighting the street, making it possible for you to follow.

01:10:00.493 --> 01:10:04.573
This section is cool while you make your way down the street as locusts attack you.

01:10:05.133 --> 01:10:08.853
If you shoot the lights out above them, the krill will attack them as well.

01:10:09.293 --> 01:10:11.413
So you can use them to your advantage if you play smart.

01:10:13.073 --> 01:10:17.653
You make it to the next checkpoint, and the guy manning it is drunk as shit.

01:10:18.553 --> 01:10:20.233
It's a war, what do you expect?

01:10:20.833 --> 01:10:25.893
He says there are zero lights between here and the gas station, so best of luck to you.

01:10:26.233 --> 01:10:26.733
Fuck!

01:10:27.433 --> 01:10:30.953
But he can turn some on to help you get to the area without any lights.

01:10:31.993 --> 01:10:39.173
And you leave your old flying robot friend Jack behind with him to make sure he leaves them on, because fuck this guy immediately.

01:10:39.273 --> 01:10:43.413
So Jack is sentient enough to kind of like elbow him if he's too drunk and starts to fall over?

01:10:43.673 --> 01:10:45.393
Yeah, he's got a pretty good AI in him.

01:10:45.453 --> 01:10:46.033
That's what's up.

01:10:46.453 --> 01:10:48.893
Dom even says, I think I'm going to kill this guy.

01:10:48.913 --> 01:10:52.033
I'm just going to put it out there in case I do it.

01:10:52.053 --> 01:10:56.593
I'm calling it right now, like fucking white ball corner pocket.

01:10:56.613 --> 01:10:57.213
Let's do this.

01:10:57.633 --> 01:11:03.353
And while you work your way through some buildings, you find that you were right to leave Jack with him because he keeps fucking with you.

01:11:03.973 --> 01:11:07.433
He keeps turning off the lights in rooms you're in just because he thinks it's funny.

01:11:07.873 --> 01:11:09.173
Oh my God, what a cunt.

01:11:09.653 --> 01:11:12.193
Yeah, you get through the house and find the area without lights.

01:11:12.993 --> 01:11:16.913
He set a bunch of things on fire, like cars and barrels, and they light your way.

01:11:17.993 --> 01:11:20.593
You finally make it to the gas station and find Chap himself.

01:11:21.533 --> 01:11:27.753
He's pissed because you just torched his neighborhood and stirred up all sorts of commotion with the local locust and krill populations.

01:11:28.753 --> 01:11:30.273
But whatever, the junker's over there.

01:11:30.613 --> 01:11:31.873
And it's way more than a junker.

01:11:32.393 --> 01:11:34.573
It's a six-wheeled assault vehicle.

01:11:34.593 --> 01:11:35.953
Oh shit.

01:11:36.553 --> 01:11:37.953
But Chap's didn't put gas in it.

01:11:37.973 --> 01:11:41.193
He never thought there was a chance you'd ever make it here, so he makes you fill it up.

01:11:41.313 --> 01:11:42.153
Oh my god.

01:11:43.013 --> 01:11:44.253
He's the worst friend.

01:11:44.553 --> 01:11:48.813
Everybody thinks you're a failure, just right out the gate without ever even knowing if you can.

01:11:49.293 --> 01:11:53.773
Of course, an attack occurs, and the locusts rain down bullets on this little gas station.

01:11:54.833 --> 01:11:59.933
After the assault, Anya radios to you saying that the shanty town is under attack, and you need to hurry back.

01:12:01.013 --> 01:12:08.113
You and Chap get into the car as Dom pulls the gas pump out, leaving it running, spilling gas all over the ground, and climbs in after the two of you.

01:12:09.053 --> 01:12:14.953
The car drives away, and as it does, a light pole falls and crashes into the pool of gas Dom just left behind.

01:12:15.193 --> 01:12:15.873
Yeah, of course.

01:12:16.313 --> 01:12:21.753
The fuel catches fire, and you drive away from the gas station as it explodes in a ball of flame.

01:12:21.933 --> 01:12:24.633
Oh, are they cool guys just driving away from the explosion?

01:12:24.633 --> 01:12:25.093
Fully.

01:12:25.153 --> 01:12:26.053
That's fucking sick.

01:12:27.093 --> 01:12:32.913
Chaps teaches you to use the car's UV lights to shine your way out of here, and also kill nests of krill on your way.

01:12:32.933 --> 01:12:37.193
Well, if you've ever had a car with their high beams on driving near you, you understand.

01:12:37.213 --> 01:12:39.193
Yeah, one of those tall SUVs or trucks.

01:12:39.313 --> 01:12:39.553
Ugh.

01:12:40.573 --> 01:12:42.913
You return to the town, and it's fully under siege.

01:12:43.773 --> 01:12:51.093
You kill the locusts and rescue your friends, but you're not leaving them as collateral any longer, and you scoop them up and leave the shanty town behind.

01:12:52.673 --> 01:12:55.533
Your destination is a mine just outside of town.

01:12:56.313 --> 01:13:02.913
Down that mine, you should be able to place the resonator in a location that can get you the best data of what the underground tunnel system looks like.

01:13:04.093 --> 01:13:08.433
Some locusts cut your trip short though, and the car comes to a halt about a mile from the mines.

01:13:09.233 --> 01:13:11.273
There's no krill out this way, fortunately.

01:13:11.953 --> 01:13:15.133
Baird says he'll get the car fixed later for the drive out of there in the morning.

01:13:15.933 --> 01:13:19.453
In the meantime, the four of you head toward the mine on foot to complete your mission.

01:13:20.473 --> 01:13:22.533
You get there, and it's sealed shut.

01:13:23.313 --> 01:13:27.913
The door to the inside is so thick, not even Jack can cut through it with his blowtorch.

01:13:28.853 --> 01:13:31.673
You decide that since you're in a horror game now, you better split up.

01:13:32.653 --> 01:13:36.853
I appreciate that Halo and This have kind of evolved into being horror games.

01:13:36.873 --> 01:13:42.853
You know, it starts with a very clear, like, military mission, and then you're fighting aliens and darkness and the horrors of man.

01:13:42.953 --> 01:13:43.333
Right.

01:13:44.893 --> 01:13:47.053
Yeah, if you split up, you can cover more ground that way.

01:13:47.093 --> 01:13:48.113
Oh, God damn it.

01:13:48.613 --> 01:13:51.993
You tell Cole and Baird to go one way, and you and Dom go the other.

01:13:52.913 --> 01:13:56.253
Cole hates the idea, but you pull rank and he snaps into shape.

01:13:57.113 --> 01:14:01.773
And honestly, you doing this kind of does it for Baird, too, and he's like, yes, sir, let's go, Cole.

01:14:03.413 --> 01:14:06.353
Dom waits until it's just the two of you to express his opinion.

01:14:07.413 --> 01:14:11.793
He doesn't like the idea either, but he's going to follow you to the literal ends of the earth.

01:14:12.193 --> 01:14:13.273
Oh, that's friendship, bitch.

01:14:13.853 --> 01:14:17.333
He's worried because nobody has ever survived going underground before.

01:14:18.253 --> 01:14:20.913
You tell him that it's probably going to be pretty horrifying, yeah.

01:14:21.573 --> 01:14:25.773
But to keep that information from Baird, because he's clearly already scared enough as it is.

01:14:26.613 --> 01:14:29.433
And the two of you giggle at the idea that Baird is a scaredy cat.

01:14:31.073 --> 01:14:36.313
You find a way inside the mine, and we go into act three, Belly of the Beast.

01:14:38.113 --> 01:14:43.853
The mines are like a modern mine, not an old-fashioned one, so there's a whole factory that surrounds the actual shaft.

01:14:44.373 --> 01:14:48.353
Okay, so we think about, like, the mines underneath until dawn.

01:14:48.373 --> 01:14:49.893
Are we a little more modern than that?

01:14:49.953 --> 01:14:51.473
Yeah, even a little bit more modern than that.

01:14:51.573 --> 01:14:52.273
Okay, cool.

01:14:52.753 --> 01:14:54.973
Because you have to break into this factory through the roof.

01:14:55.873 --> 01:14:59.293
You let the other two know that you made it in, and they're like, we've been inside for a while.

01:14:59.313 --> 01:15:00.253
What took you so long?

01:15:00.253 --> 01:15:00.773
Oh, shit.

01:15:01.253 --> 01:15:03.433
They went in through the basement, and that was a lot easier.

01:15:03.453 --> 01:15:06.713
We were just doing superhero shit.

01:15:06.733 --> 01:15:07.173
Fuck you.

01:15:07.793 --> 01:15:12.573
Anya directs you to a mineshaft over the radio while she directs Cole and Baird to the power switch.

01:15:13.893 --> 01:15:19.173
When they turn the lights on inside the building, Dom immediately asks for them to be turned back off.

01:15:19.293 --> 01:15:20.153
Is he hungover?

01:15:20.613 --> 01:15:25.773
No, because the room you're in is full of dismembered body parts scattered everywhere.

01:15:26.313 --> 01:15:27.453
Oh, shit.

01:15:27.473 --> 01:15:29.013
Never mind you're in Until Dawn.

01:15:29.033 --> 01:15:31.033
You're in Little Nightmares 2, bitch.

01:15:31.173 --> 01:15:32.793
There's just body parts?

01:15:32.973 --> 01:15:33.473
Everywhere.

01:15:34.613 --> 01:15:36.713
Yeah, this really went full horror.

01:15:37.713 --> 01:15:42.533
You enter another room, and as you do, a gunshot hits the wall right next to you.

01:15:43.533 --> 01:15:47.893
You literally say the words, Hey, dipshit, we're here to save you.

01:15:49.053 --> 01:15:50.413
Was he written by me?

01:15:51.773 --> 01:15:55.673
That's how I describe things all the time, especially on this show.

01:15:55.693 --> 01:15:58.133
I was so excited when he said, Hey, dipshit.

01:15:59.373 --> 01:16:03.973
Because how many times I've been like, Hey, dipshit, I'm Abby or whatever the fuck.

01:16:04.453 --> 01:16:09.593
Well, yeah, anyway, so this person that shot at you is just a miner that has somehow survived.

01:16:10.253 --> 01:16:14.953
You ask him to show you to the mine cart station, he's all, wait, are we not leaving?

01:16:14.973 --> 01:16:19.273
He went, I was really hoping I could get out of here.

01:16:19.573 --> 01:16:20.853
Yeah, you tell him not yet.

01:16:20.893 --> 01:16:21.993
Now, come on, dipshit.

01:16:22.473 --> 01:16:24.133
You're just like, this is dipshit now.

01:16:24.693 --> 01:16:25.753
Your name is dipshit.

01:16:25.833 --> 01:16:31.173
I'm assuming because they're a miner and not a warrior, they're probably a smaller build than all the beefy boys.

01:16:31.193 --> 01:16:31.973
Very much so.

01:16:31.973 --> 01:16:33.093
He is a small man.

01:16:34.533 --> 01:16:37.673
On the way, you hear Cole and Baird fighting their way up from the basement.

01:16:38.373 --> 01:16:43.313
And at one point, you end up a floor above them, and you can look down at them through the graded floor beneath your feet.

01:16:43.573 --> 01:16:44.233
Oh, that's funny.

01:16:44.493 --> 01:16:46.713
And you all agree to meet up at the cart station from there.

01:16:47.873 --> 01:16:51.133
You come to an area with two by four planks laid out as the ground.

01:16:51.793 --> 01:16:54.773
The miner goes first and falls through the floor.

01:16:55.133 --> 01:16:55.793
Oh, no.

01:16:56.293 --> 01:16:59.533
You look down and watch a locust variant eat him alive.

01:17:00.433 --> 01:17:01.993
Oh, we lost dipshit.

01:17:02.033 --> 01:17:03.433
Yeah, bye-bye dipshit.

01:17:03.533 --> 01:17:04.633
RIP dipshit.

01:17:05.573 --> 01:17:06.793
Oh, well, gotta keep moving.

01:17:06.893 --> 01:17:07.233
Yeah.

01:17:07.973 --> 01:17:13.973
You continue on your path, fighting scarier creatures that explode spewing yellow lava acid everywhere.

01:17:15.373 --> 01:17:22.693
Eventually, you get to the cart station and meet up with Cole and Baird, where you confirm that Cole still has the resonator and that it's undamaged.

01:17:23.053 --> 01:17:25.853
And Cole says, You know what, baby, the train ride's smooth.

01:17:27.413 --> 01:17:28.973
I appreciate that he's always on.

01:17:28.993 --> 01:17:31.353
He's always on, all the time.

01:17:31.533 --> 01:17:40.153
No matter what horrific shit he's just experienced or contributed to, he's still got this very like smooth Colt 45 energy.

01:17:41.913 --> 01:17:44.053
He's got a good buzz riding the whole game.

01:17:44.073 --> 01:17:44.973
Yeah.

01:17:44.993 --> 01:17:47.633
You know, is it Billy Dee Williams that did those commercials?

01:17:47.653 --> 01:17:48.053
Yeah.

01:17:48.073 --> 01:17:49.213
That's the energy I'm thinking.

01:17:49.233 --> 01:17:51.593
I'm just like, whatever, baby, let's do this, you know?

01:17:53.413 --> 01:17:58.413
You find the carts leading into the mines and decide to ride them in because why wouldn't you?

01:17:58.513 --> 01:17:58.893
Yeah.

01:17:59.833 --> 01:18:02.593
Each of you hop in a cart and they descend into the mine.

01:18:03.453 --> 01:18:07.213
Of course, it's an action packed thrill ride that would make Indiana Jones jealous.

01:18:07.213 --> 01:18:08.033
Hell yeah.

01:18:08.093 --> 01:18:12.113
You're shooting at locusts, all four cars end up on different tracks.

01:18:12.133 --> 01:18:16.613
You zig and zag, dip and spin and ultimately come to a stop at the end of the track.

01:18:17.173 --> 01:18:23.953
You step out and look back to see another cart tearing ass down the tracks toward you, not slowing down the way yours had.

01:18:24.633 --> 01:18:30.313
You get out of the way as the cart crash into the back of yours, sending Baird flying out of his cart and into yours.

01:18:30.873 --> 01:18:31.633
Fucking Baird.

01:18:31.733 --> 01:18:33.373
He pops up and goes, that was fun.

01:18:33.393 --> 01:18:35.833
And he just hops out of the cart.

01:18:36.513 --> 01:18:37.513
Honestly, good for him.

01:18:37.533 --> 01:18:40.713
That's the least insufferable he's been all game.

01:18:41.733 --> 01:18:45.653
Dom and Cole are elsewhere together and each of your groups heads further into the mines.

01:18:45.753 --> 01:18:48.853
So this is another split-off point for that co-op play you're talking about.

01:18:48.873 --> 01:18:51.753
Yeah, they do it a lot through the game, which makes it really cool.

01:18:51.933 --> 01:18:58.453
That does give you incentive to replay the game as both characters and experience what their paths have taken them through.

01:18:58.473 --> 01:19:00.953
Yeah, it's not just the fact that it's a fun as fuck game.

01:19:00.973 --> 01:19:02.753
It's got other reasons to replay it.

01:19:02.893 --> 01:19:07.193
And honestly, if you just want to hang out with like party boy Cole, you could take the Dombrow.

01:19:08.373 --> 01:19:09.293
Right, totally.

01:19:09.313 --> 01:19:14.153
Anya guides you through the radio deep into the mines so you can find the location to set off the resonator.

01:19:15.093 --> 01:19:20.153
You also need to do it before dawn, because that's when the krill retreat to the mines to avoid the sun.

01:19:20.333 --> 01:19:23.133
Miners until dawn, underground, got it.

01:19:23.253 --> 01:19:24.133
Right, always.

01:19:24.433 --> 01:19:30.913
The two groups join back up deep in the mines, but split up again, this time you take Dom with you while Cole and Baird go off together.

01:19:30.993 --> 01:19:34.193
They only wanted to develop the one route for this one.

01:19:34.253 --> 01:19:34.673
Yeah.

01:19:35.033 --> 01:19:40.853
While split up, you end up falling down a slope, taking you deep down but closer to your destination than the others.

01:19:42.073 --> 01:19:43.913
You're heading to a pumping station in the mine.

01:19:44.793 --> 01:19:47.053
It's the best place to get a good reading from the resonator.

01:19:47.873 --> 01:19:51.633
But falling down and getting separated has made both teams of two lost.

01:19:52.233 --> 01:19:52.673
Oh, no.

01:19:52.753 --> 01:19:54.853
And not even Anya can help you navigate anymore.

01:19:55.233 --> 01:19:57.073
Are you so deep you don't get signal from her?

01:19:57.393 --> 01:20:00.233
Well, no, you're actually in the tunnels the locusts have built now.

01:20:00.633 --> 01:20:02.713
Oh, so she's like, I don't even have the map for this.

01:20:02.733 --> 01:20:03.213
Good luck.

01:20:03.233 --> 01:20:05.073
Yeah, you have nothing mapped out yet.

01:20:05.113 --> 01:20:06.793
My schematics do not cover this.

01:20:06.833 --> 01:20:07.373
Good luck.

01:20:08.173 --> 01:20:13.713
As you explore, you see rivers and lakes of that golden yellow acid lava from before.

01:20:13.733 --> 01:20:16.333
Oh, that they were like spitting out and throwing up and shit?

01:20:16.353 --> 01:20:17.353
Yeah, and exploding.

01:20:17.933 --> 01:20:23.873
It appears to be a naturally occurring substance here in the underground tunnels, and it's called emulsion.

01:20:24.833 --> 01:20:32.793
It's the main fuel source on Serra, and it's the most valuable natural resource in the world, which has caused many wars throughout history.

01:20:33.133 --> 01:20:39.253
Oh, so like our world, where our wars are based on oil, this is their oil.

01:20:39.273 --> 01:20:42.433
It's just goopy and yellow instead of black.

01:20:42.653 --> 01:20:47.213
Yeah, but it's also very corrosive and, like I said, kind of an acid lava.

01:20:48.893 --> 01:20:58.513
As you run through these tunnels, krill attack in the dark areas, locusts attack around every corner, and the earthquakes constantly beneath your feet.

01:20:59.153 --> 01:21:02.193
Is that earthquake from the tarantulas moving up and down and shit?

01:21:02.793 --> 01:21:07.913
Yeah, you eventually see the source of the quaking as a corpser the tarantula scorpion burrows by.

01:21:07.933 --> 01:21:10.913
Oh, those are the really, really big ones too, right?

01:21:10.933 --> 01:21:12.113
Yeah, the 40-foot ones.

01:21:12.133 --> 01:21:13.073
I don't like them.

01:21:13.713 --> 01:21:16.633
Unfortunately, it notices you too and attacks.

01:21:17.653 --> 01:21:27.453
Now, every time you've seen this thing so far has been outside, but now you're in a cramped tunnel with this imposing creature, and you're in its territory.

01:21:28.673 --> 01:21:31.453
He turns out to be too large and armored for your bullets.

01:21:32.153 --> 01:21:35.193
And being underground, you can't use the Hammer of Dawn either.

01:21:36.093 --> 01:21:41.793
So instead, you lure him out onto a bridge over a pool of emulsion.

01:21:42.473 --> 01:21:44.693
Oh, this is how the Joker made Harley Quinn.

01:21:44.713 --> 01:21:50.013
Yeah, and you need to shoot out the supports underneath the bridge.

01:21:51.293 --> 01:21:57.113
This sends the Corpster into the emulsion below as it convulses like a bug that just got hit by bug spray.

01:21:57.913 --> 01:22:01.553
You turn and walk away from the pool, and Dom yells to look out.

01:22:01.993 --> 01:22:07.493
You turn around and watch a couple of emulsion-covered spider legs come flying up out of the pool.

01:22:07.733 --> 01:22:08.813
Oh, no.

01:22:09.633 --> 01:22:16.033
You stand there like a fucking boss, as the legs slam down inches in front of you.

01:22:16.793 --> 01:22:17.733
Don't even flinch.

01:22:18.893 --> 01:22:26.193
They try to dig into the ground as the weight of the corpses sinks down in the pool of emulsion, leaving a golden trail in its wake.

01:22:26.713 --> 01:22:27.633
Oh, shit.

01:22:28.593 --> 01:22:32.633
All that racket proved useful for Baird and Cole as they find you near the pool of emulsion.

01:22:33.713 --> 01:22:38.633
The four of you manage to figure out your location and start toward the pumping station so you can set off the resonator.

01:22:39.593 --> 01:22:42.053
It's heavily guarded by some elite locust forces.

01:22:42.993 --> 01:22:54.033
You have to kill them, obviously, and after you do, Baird takes the resonator off Cole's back and sets it up while the rest of you get on a very conveniently located elevator back to the surface.

01:22:54.233 --> 01:22:55.033
That worked out.

01:22:56.653 --> 01:23:00.733
The resonator starts to pulse, shooting off little sound waves that grow bigger and bigger.

01:23:01.633 --> 01:23:07.353
Baird runs to the elevator and kind of trips over a metal ball that we last saw Carmine toss into a hole.

01:23:08.473 --> 01:23:11.613
He picks it up and makes it to the elevator just in time.

01:23:13.053 --> 01:23:15.533
You come out of the elevator into a little shack in the woods.

01:23:16.473 --> 01:23:21.293
The four of you run as the resonator gives off a powerful EMP-like explosion.

01:23:22.113 --> 01:23:24.033
No fire or damage, just energy.

01:23:25.313 --> 01:23:27.053
It even sends you all flying to the ground.

01:23:27.073 --> 01:23:31.753
It's so strong, but it's not a traditional EMP, so it doesn't fry any electronics.

01:23:32.613 --> 01:23:38.793
It just created a really gigantic sound in the hopes it will echo through the entire locust tunnels and lead them to their base.

01:23:38.813 --> 01:23:42.693
The echolocation bomb, exactly what I thought it was going to be.

01:23:43.973 --> 01:23:46.553
You radio to Anya to let her know the resonator went off.

01:23:47.213 --> 01:23:52.733
And she says she's sending helicopters to pick you up right away, congratulating your team on a successful mission.

01:23:52.913 --> 01:23:54.313
Don't celebrate yet.

01:23:55.353 --> 01:23:59.333
I'm a big fan of not celebrating the end of it until you are somewhere safe.

01:23:59.853 --> 01:24:06.593
Well, the four of you lay down in the grass, relieved that you are finally heading back where you can have some hot food and a nap.

01:24:07.253 --> 01:24:07.673
Uh-huh.

01:24:08.033 --> 01:24:08.733
I'm nervous.

01:24:09.153 --> 01:24:12.813
Yeah, your fun is cut short by Colonel Hoffman coming over the radio.

01:24:13.413 --> 01:24:15.133
He tells you that the resonator didn't work.

01:24:15.493 --> 01:24:23.713
Turns out the network of tunnels is so incredibly large and vast, it would take 30 resonators to map the whole place.

01:24:23.913 --> 01:24:24.953
What the fuck?

01:24:24.973 --> 01:24:26.633
How many people died for the first one?

01:24:26.633 --> 01:24:27.253
Come on!

01:24:28.233 --> 01:24:32.193
Baird throws the metal ball he picked up at you, saying you can use this instead.

01:24:33.133 --> 01:24:34.153
And you say to what?

01:24:34.293 --> 01:24:35.173
Bash your teeth in?

01:24:36.113 --> 01:24:36.493
Do it.

01:24:36.993 --> 01:24:38.793
Baird says, shut up and look at it.

01:24:39.353 --> 01:24:44.713
The ball opens up, and a hologram showing the entrance points to every locust tunnel appears.

01:24:45.453 --> 01:24:46.533
They had maps.

01:24:47.653 --> 01:24:50.393
That's why the group of Gears you saw earlier were killed.

01:24:51.413 --> 01:24:54.093
They had found this map and were bringing it to home base.

01:24:54.173 --> 01:24:57.053
And you guys went, that's weird, huh, and just moved on.

01:24:57.153 --> 01:25:03.733
Yeah, if dumbass Carmine hadn't thrown it down that hole, you could have skipped the last day and a half.

01:25:04.313 --> 01:25:04.773
Oh well.

01:25:05.073 --> 01:25:06.793
Fucking Carmine.

01:25:06.813 --> 01:25:15.573
Hoffman wants to see where the entrances lead, and Anya says the file was created at the home of Professor Adam Fenix.

01:25:17.613 --> 01:25:19.633
Marcus, you got some splaining to do.

01:25:20.093 --> 01:25:21.293
Yeah, your father.

01:25:22.433 --> 01:25:24.913
Hoffman asks if you think you can find your way home.

01:25:25.733 --> 01:25:31.293
He wants you to go there to see if there's more data showing not just the entrances, but the tunnels themselves.

01:25:31.313 --> 01:25:32.873
This is from your father.

01:25:33.773 --> 01:25:39.473
And Marcus has been gone for so long, and oh, this is juicy, bitch.

01:25:40.193 --> 01:25:46.253
The camera pans down past your feet, into the ground, back into the tunnels below.

01:25:47.613 --> 01:25:50.853
We see the locust leader, Rom, holding the helmet of a gear.

01:25:52.033 --> 01:25:54.233
He's listening in on the radio transmission.

01:25:54.313 --> 01:25:55.473
God damn it.

01:25:56.013 --> 01:26:06.193
As Colonel Hoffman informs you that the incoming helicopters are gonna take you to your father's old house instead of back to base, two locust soldiers drag a beaten gear towards Rom.

01:26:07.993 --> 01:26:12.753
He grabs the gear's head and twists it backwards, snapping his neck.

01:26:13.073 --> 01:26:13.273
Oh!

01:26:13.893 --> 01:26:14.433
Jesus!

01:26:15.573 --> 01:26:18.973
Rom and his soldiers march away to head you off at the pass.

01:26:20.413 --> 01:26:24.133
You fly into a new city with a gang of fighter helicopters nearby.

01:26:24.413 --> 01:26:26.593
Is this more of a suburb or is this another major city?

01:26:26.613 --> 01:26:27.793
This is another major city.

01:26:28.353 --> 01:26:31.653
The locusts attack, taking out every helicopter but yours.

01:26:32.893 --> 01:26:40.453
You land with your usual crew and check in to see how the other choppers are doing, taking us into Act IV, the Long Road Home.

01:26:42.133 --> 01:26:46.953
Anya says one squad has an emergency beacon activated nearby, so you head towards them.

01:26:48.213 --> 01:26:52.633
You split up, taking Baird with you, and you explore the area looking for a way to the downed craft.

01:26:54.113 --> 01:26:57.213
You find it in a courtyard with a giant hollow creature attacking.

01:26:57.633 --> 01:27:03.853
Anya lets you know that satellites are positioned for attack, and you use the Hammer of Dawn to rescue the downed Gears.

01:27:03.913 --> 01:27:05.513
Abso-fucking-lutely, hell yeah.

01:27:06.293 --> 01:27:13.033
You approach the wreckage, and some of the cowardly Stranded are there, trying to scavenge the dead and injured bodies of the Gears on the ground.

01:27:14.073 --> 01:27:18.713
You scare them off and realize that even the living Gears are too fucked up to help.

01:27:19.033 --> 01:27:21.493
Oh, they're just so traumatized and beaten up.

01:27:21.673 --> 01:27:23.973
Yeah, their legs are broken, shit like that.

01:27:24.913 --> 01:27:27.353
So you radio in to have a rescue team sent.

01:27:28.673 --> 01:27:34.133
So your father was a professor, and you grew up in a house on university property.

01:27:35.193 --> 01:27:39.913
You have to work your way through this abandoned university to get to your old stomping grounds.

01:27:41.153 --> 01:27:44.353
And because it's a different universe, I guess there's different housing rules for teachers.

01:27:45.553 --> 01:27:51.513
There's a berserker here, the kind that's like the Abomination, and you have to lure it outside and use the Hammer of Dawn again.

01:27:51.533 --> 01:27:57.853
And this at least gets you closer to home, and you team back up with Dom, but send the other two off on their own for a while.

01:27:58.833 --> 01:28:02.513
You find your house, and it's completely overtaken by enemy forces.

01:28:03.813 --> 01:28:08.933
Anya says seismic activity in the area suggests that your house is a major base for their forces.

01:28:09.193 --> 01:28:10.993
This really isn't looking good for your dad.

01:28:11.453 --> 01:28:12.733
Not one bit whatsoever.

01:28:14.133 --> 01:28:18.693
Once you kill your way inside, you find your dad's secret lab, because of course he had one.

01:28:18.713 --> 01:28:19.753
God damn it.

01:28:20.353 --> 01:28:28.653
In it, you find the rest of the map, and it does show the entire system of tunnels, and it's bigger than any of you knew possible.

01:28:29.933 --> 01:28:37.933
The file is so large, you can't send it wirelessly, so you have Jack plug into the computer system to have him save it to a portable thumb drive.

01:28:38.153 --> 01:28:45.373
You know, there's some echoes when you were saying that their first project was too big to send wirelessly, and they had to mail it out on thumb drives.

01:28:45.673 --> 01:28:48.173
Right, because that was just the reality of their life.

01:28:48.233 --> 01:28:50.833
Yeah, you know, time is a flat circle.

01:28:51.793 --> 01:28:52.573
You write what you know.

01:28:53.473 --> 01:28:57.593
While it uploads, Baird says there's a battle upstairs, so you head up to help out.

01:28:58.333 --> 01:29:02.273
Also, this house isn't so much a house as it is a mansion.

01:29:02.693 --> 01:29:05.253
Oh, he's balling out of control on his professor salary.

01:29:05.353 --> 01:29:08.013
Yeah, Marcus grew up fancy as fuck.

01:29:08.173 --> 01:29:12.153
Okay, so it's more Braithwaite family house, not like our family house.

01:29:13.613 --> 01:29:17.113
But today, it's overgrown and run down and full of locusts.

01:29:17.133 --> 01:29:18.773
It's like the house in Jumanji.

01:29:18.973 --> 01:29:21.613
Yeah, so you redecorate a few rooms with their blood.

01:29:22.853 --> 01:29:26.753
You make it to Baird and Cole, who are holding down a force of locusts advancing on the front door.

01:29:27.473 --> 01:29:33.613
You do your best, but they're pretty overwhelming, and they break into the mansion and chase you out the back door into a courtyard.

01:29:34.813 --> 01:29:39.073
As you enter the courtyard, Anya informs you that Jack has finished downloading the map.

01:29:39.893 --> 01:29:43.033
There's a military vehicle nearby, so you all decide to run to it and escape.

01:29:43.573 --> 01:29:52.993
As you run, a 20-foot-tall, lumbering, troll-like hollow creature called a brumak comes charging after you.

01:29:53.133 --> 01:29:53.853
Brumak?

01:29:53.873 --> 01:29:55.073
These are all so fucking great.

01:29:55.373 --> 01:29:58.393
Also how good would be a tie-in beer called the brumak?

01:29:59.613 --> 01:29:59.973
Right.

01:30:00.433 --> 01:30:02.713
This game is begging for a partnered IPA.

01:30:03.753 --> 01:30:07.393
Dom and Baird fire on it, but the bullets just bounce right off.

01:30:08.193 --> 01:30:15.213
Everyone loads into this tanked-out, dune-buggy military vehicle, and you floor it out of there as the brumak chases after you.

01:30:16.153 --> 01:30:19.833
It fires explosive projectiles as you drive away, roaring at you.

01:30:19.853 --> 01:30:28.833
And then we see Jack come flying in from up and over the creature, dodging blasts as it catches up to the vehicle and secures itself to the side.

01:30:29.093 --> 01:30:29.773
Hell yeah.

01:30:30.313 --> 01:30:36.253
You just barely drive away to safety, and it takes us into Act 5, Desperation.

01:30:38.293 --> 01:30:41.993
You drive through a city street and let Anya know you have the map data.

01:30:42.913 --> 01:30:46.053
She says that the Lightmass Bomb is on a train heading toward you.

01:30:47.033 --> 01:30:48.193
You say, I'm sorry, what?

01:30:49.813 --> 01:30:51.293
We only know the coal train.

01:30:51.313 --> 01:31:01.413
Yeah, she explains that you're going to have to retrieve the bomb from a train station and use the map you have to upload it into the Lightmass Bomb.

01:31:02.093 --> 01:31:07.633
From there, the Lightmass Bomb will guide itself like a cruise missile to where it needs to go to blow up the Locust Stronghold.

01:31:08.513 --> 01:31:12.973
Since the map was too big to upload wirelessly, they need you to do it manually.

01:31:13.253 --> 01:31:14.713
Yeah, okay, that tracks.

01:31:15.373 --> 01:31:19.413
On the way, you get to a drawbridge that's raised and the power is down.

01:31:19.633 --> 01:31:20.993
God, I love a drawbridge.

01:31:21.153 --> 01:31:22.873
Yeah, so you can't lower it.

01:31:23.673 --> 01:31:27.093
Turns out this was an ambush and an epic battle breaks out.

01:31:27.113 --> 01:31:28.913
Hell yeah, but you're on the surface, right?

01:31:28.933 --> 01:31:31.813
So you can use the power of the drawbridge to put the sun in the palm of your hands.

01:31:32.033 --> 01:31:34.133
Satellites are out of position at this time, unfortunately.

01:31:34.153 --> 01:31:34.873
Fuck.

01:31:35.713 --> 01:31:39.053
Baird's pissed because the Locust obviously know what you're up to.

01:31:39.673 --> 01:31:42.233
You tell him to shut up and listen to you because it doesn't matter.

01:31:42.433 --> 01:31:43.593
You still have to keep going.

01:31:44.053 --> 01:31:47.973
Yeah, even if they know the plan, I'm not going to change the fucking plan.

01:31:47.993 --> 01:31:53.013
Yeah, and he says, whatever, boss man, as you and Dom head off to turn on the power to the bridge.

01:31:53.153 --> 01:31:54.693
I get how he's never been promoted.

01:31:54.713 --> 01:31:55.433
He's kind of a cock.

01:31:57.493 --> 01:31:59.593
Dom says, you sounded like your dad back there.

01:31:59.613 --> 01:32:02.573
You're like, we're not talking about my dad right now.

01:32:02.593 --> 01:32:03.793
He might be a piece of shit.

01:32:04.093 --> 01:32:05.973
Yeah, you say, fuck my old man.

01:32:06.533 --> 01:32:09.493
He was an idiot who thought he could reason with the Locusts.

01:32:10.373 --> 01:32:11.753
So that was your dad's deal.

01:32:11.773 --> 01:32:13.313
He wasn't necessarily a traitor.

01:32:14.233 --> 01:32:16.933
He was trying to be diplomatic with the Locusts.

01:32:17.933 --> 01:32:18.813
It didn't work.

01:32:19.193 --> 01:32:21.793
They still killed everybody that he knew and loved.

01:32:22.573 --> 01:32:24.193
He's like, what if we all got along?

01:32:24.213 --> 01:32:26.673
They're like, cute story, let's murder everyone.

01:32:26.973 --> 01:32:31.873
Right, and that's why he allowed them to use his home as a base for a while, things like that.

01:32:32.113 --> 01:32:35.153
And Marcus was tired of that, so he went to save him.

01:32:35.393 --> 01:32:35.973
I get it.

01:32:35.993 --> 01:32:37.133
That sucks, though.

01:32:37.133 --> 01:32:38.113
He tried.

01:32:38.133 --> 01:32:42.953
I'd like to believe that was done with best efforts intended, you know?

01:32:42.973 --> 01:32:44.473
But also, what about Dr.

01:32:44.473 --> 01:32:52.313
Breen in the Half-Life 2 story, where he was also kind of in the same situation, and he ended up becoming the ambassador for Earth and betraying humans?

01:32:52.653 --> 01:32:56.833
Yeah, I mean, I'm not saying it's historically a great route to take.

01:32:57.173 --> 01:33:01.513
Saying a lot of these doctors probably should have taken a class in, I don't know, like, statistics.

01:33:01.693 --> 01:33:04.233
Statistically, this is a bad idea, you know?

01:33:04.253 --> 01:33:05.013
It truly is.

01:33:05.713 --> 01:33:11.433
And Dom's like, yeah, but now his map is going to end the war, so that's gotta be worth something, right?

01:33:11.453 --> 01:33:14.533
And you go, yeah, but you're gonna use it to blow shit up?

01:33:14.793 --> 01:33:16.713
He probably wouldn't have appreciated the irony.

01:33:17.813 --> 01:33:19.693
He's like, but I do, let's fucking do this.

01:33:22.173 --> 01:33:25.333
On your hunt for the power station, you regroup with Cole and Baird.

01:33:26.013 --> 01:33:27.153
You send Jack off...

01:33:28.753 --> 01:33:33.713
You send Jack off with them to repair the power lines while you and Dom hold off some enemy forces.

01:33:34.713 --> 01:33:39.693
As Jack repairs the power, you group up, but there's another one of those brumacs patrolling the area.

01:33:40.613 --> 01:33:45.493
Before anyone can stop him, Cole runs up and says, hey, stupid, come chase me.

01:33:48.373 --> 01:33:50.113
I fucking love Cole.

01:33:50.273 --> 01:33:55.133
I know this is easy, ridiculous character, but he's fucking great.

01:33:55.153 --> 01:33:58.173
And every scene you described with him in it makes me happy.

01:33:58.433 --> 01:34:03.253
Yeah, you watch the brumac run by with Cole saying, yeah, baby, you can't catch the train.

01:34:04.533 --> 01:34:06.553
He went from Cole train to A train now.

01:34:06.573 --> 01:34:08.473
He's like, fuck it, let's go.

01:34:08.493 --> 01:34:11.653
And he also kind of forces Baird to run with him too.

01:34:12.653 --> 01:34:15.513
But this clears things up for you, and you go to check on Jack.

01:34:16.493 --> 01:34:20.833
The train carrying the bomb is under attack, so you have to get to the train yard pretty quickly.

01:34:21.553 --> 01:34:24.713
But the brumac manages to find you, and you have to hide.

01:34:25.573 --> 01:34:31.533
Baird radios in while you hide from the brumac to tell you that they have now successfully lost the brumac.

01:34:32.393 --> 01:34:34.593
And you're like, yeah, dumbass, it found us.

01:34:36.993 --> 01:34:39.853
So Cole and Baird fire from a distance to help you out.

01:34:40.953 --> 01:34:44.213
You try to kill the brumac, but it ends up trapping you in a room instead.

01:34:44.913 --> 01:34:50.093
You ask Jack to help you break out, and while it torches a door open, you attempt to contact Anya.

01:34:51.173 --> 01:34:56.393
You get static only because the locusts are jamming your signal again, so you have to go on jam it.

01:34:57.413 --> 01:34:59.953
You find the jammer inside the university's theater.

01:35:00.813 --> 01:35:05.693
It's a grand theater with balconies and box seats like there's a performance of Our American Cousin playing.

01:35:05.873 --> 01:35:06.373
Oh no.

01:35:07.233 --> 01:35:15.413
This fight is pretty cool because being indoors, you can't use your hammer of dawn, so you have to shoot out the supports for the set pieces on the stage.

01:35:16.133 --> 01:35:17.413
That's cool.

01:35:17.433 --> 01:35:19.733
So it's a lot of environmental strategy.

01:35:19.893 --> 01:35:24.773
Yeah, so then the scenery collapses onto the signal jammer, killing everything underneath it.

01:35:25.033 --> 01:35:27.013
Honestly, that sounds like really great gameplay.

01:35:27.093 --> 01:35:31.833
It is, and I love that Gears of War managed to squeeze in a theater sequence.

01:35:31.973 --> 01:35:35.333
Yeah, you're like, the theater kid in me is high-fiving the gamer kid in me.

01:35:35.573 --> 01:35:36.013
Right?

01:35:36.373 --> 01:35:37.373
We're all enjoying this.

01:35:37.393 --> 01:35:39.133
You're like, get stage left.

01:35:41.973 --> 01:35:45.773
You regroup with Cole and Baird again and realize the comms are still jammed.

01:35:46.573 --> 01:35:50.473
Since you'll never find the train without comms, you need to kill another signal jammer.

01:35:51.213 --> 01:35:53.513
When you do, Anya is relieved to hear your voice.

01:35:54.493 --> 01:35:58.913
The train is still heading towards the station, but locusts have managed to get on board.

01:35:59.813 --> 01:36:03.913
They're throwing train guards under the wheels as they make their way to the conductor.

01:36:04.193 --> 01:36:05.733
Oh, that's so gnarly.

01:36:06.573 --> 01:36:11.113
To top it off, even though the power is fixed, the bridge still isn't working.

01:36:12.033 --> 01:36:19.713
Some stranded appear to have rerouted the power to a nearby shantytown, but another power station nearby should be able to get it running.

01:36:20.673 --> 01:36:27.933
By now, Dom isn't his plucky self, and he and Baird are both like, okay, this is turning into some actual bullshit now.

01:36:29.193 --> 01:36:29.993
But you don't care.

01:36:30.153 --> 01:36:33.513
You have a mission to complete and an asshole colonel to prove wrong.

01:36:33.713 --> 01:36:34.113
Yeah.

01:36:34.633 --> 01:36:36.533
You split up again, taking Dom with you.

01:36:36.973 --> 01:36:41.073
While searching the power station, you realize it wasn't Stranded that rerouted the power.

01:36:41.653 --> 01:36:42.673
It was the Locusts.

01:36:43.753 --> 01:36:45.133
They know how to do that, apparently.

01:36:45.373 --> 01:36:45.933
Fuckers.

01:36:46.053 --> 01:36:49.013
They're directing a shitload of power underground, too.

01:36:50.633 --> 01:36:54.753
Some of this turns into Technobabble, but basically the power station is working.

01:36:55.193 --> 01:37:00.613
But you need to connect two giant electrical transformers together in order to get it to power the bridge.

01:37:01.533 --> 01:37:02.973
But you don't have the right equipment.

01:37:03.573 --> 01:37:08.713
And the two giant electrical transformers are like 20 feet apart from one another.

01:37:09.653 --> 01:37:11.433
And you're like, 20 feet, huh?

01:37:12.453 --> 01:37:14.713
So I just need something with a 20-foot wingspan.

01:37:16.153 --> 01:37:17.453
So fun science fact.

01:37:17.473 --> 01:37:19.053
I'm sure many people learn in grade school.

01:37:19.953 --> 01:37:25.853
If you do a T-pose, the distance from fingertip to fingertip is the same distance as your height.

01:37:25.913 --> 01:37:27.533
Yeah, your wingspan is your height.

01:37:27.753 --> 01:37:30.933
If you put your arms out, it's just straight out from your shoulders.

01:37:32.033 --> 01:37:34.853
And you know about a 20-foot brumack in the area.

01:37:36.473 --> 01:37:36.993
So?

01:37:37.513 --> 01:37:38.633
Yeah, you hatch a plan.

01:37:39.733 --> 01:37:42.273
You and Dom go outside and get its attention.

01:37:43.333 --> 01:37:49.173
It chases you to the Transformers and very politely dies in a way that restores the power to the bridge.

01:37:49.593 --> 01:37:51.333
That is very kind of him.

01:37:51.433 --> 01:37:52.553
Thank you for your service.

01:37:53.293 --> 01:37:58.673
As it lays there, smoldering at your feet, you say, And I thought the prison food smelled bad.

01:37:59.373 --> 01:38:02.733
Wackety-schmackety-no.

01:38:02.753 --> 01:38:07.693
But here's the thing, the Brumack IPA does taste like electricity.

01:38:08.813 --> 01:38:09.553
It ties in.

01:38:09.613 --> 01:38:10.153
It's great.

01:38:10.593 --> 01:38:13.993
Just giving that like Star Wars, I thought they smelled bad on the outside.

01:38:16.273 --> 01:38:19.073
On your radio, they tell you the train is out of their control now.

01:38:19.633 --> 01:38:21.093
The Locusts have taken it over.

01:38:21.453 --> 01:38:22.033
Oh, shit.

01:38:22.213 --> 01:38:26.433
And they floored it, so that it's just gonna pass right through the station instead of stop.

01:38:27.413 --> 01:38:28.813
So she needs you to intercept it.

01:38:29.713 --> 01:38:31.073
Dom's like, Awesome.

01:38:31.493 --> 01:38:35.953
Now we get to jump on a moving train so we can grab the world's largest bomb.

01:38:36.113 --> 01:38:37.773
There's always a goddamn train.

01:38:37.793 --> 01:38:39.173
Today just keeps getting better.

01:38:41.113 --> 01:38:43.533
You head to the station since you know it will be passing by.

01:38:44.513 --> 01:38:47.093
And it zooms through while Locusts shoot at you.

01:38:47.273 --> 01:38:49.073
And you're like, should I just sneak on now?

01:38:49.173 --> 01:38:51.513
Yeah, very much like that Arthur Morgan moment.

01:38:52.473 --> 01:38:53.613
But yeah, that's the plan.

01:38:54.193 --> 01:39:01.793
Somehow you and Dom jump on to the final car, which is one of those open air freight cars that I've only ever seen in video game trains.

01:39:02.253 --> 01:39:06.633
I think sometimes there's just loose coal in them when I've seen them in Christmas train sets.

01:39:06.653 --> 01:39:06.993
Right.

01:39:07.813 --> 01:39:09.513
But that's a very specific reference.

01:39:10.253 --> 01:39:15.113
Baird and Cole miss the train and say they're going to follow in a helicopter as soon as one comes to pick them up.

01:39:15.213 --> 01:39:16.453
That's embarrassing for Cole.

01:39:16.733 --> 01:39:17.933
He is a train.

01:39:18.813 --> 01:39:24.533
You and Dom in the meantime advance down the train, because trains are always traveling downward.

01:39:25.073 --> 01:39:26.413
It's a little train fact for you folks.

01:39:27.613 --> 01:39:28.393
Thanks, Tom.

01:39:28.693 --> 01:39:38.233
About halfway down the train, you encounter a berserker again, and you have to get it to run past you onto a car behind you, and then unhook the car from the train.

01:39:38.993 --> 01:39:46.313
Because they really found cool ways to repeat some mechanics, but make you defeat those mechanics in different ways as the game progresses.

01:39:46.713 --> 01:39:47.733
I can appreciate that.

01:39:47.913 --> 01:39:48.733
It's not too repetitive.

01:39:48.753 --> 01:39:54.793
It's actually just building on your skill set to accommodate for power creep or just familiarity with usage.

01:39:54.813 --> 01:39:55.333
That's cool.

01:39:55.433 --> 01:40:01.673
Yeah, it really gives you a lot of variety, and it kind of goes against that whole 30 seconds of fun that the Halo franchise has.

01:40:03.393 --> 01:40:10.533
After you defeat it, Baird lets you know that Colonel Hoffman personally flew in and picked them up, and that they're coming to help you.

01:40:11.773 --> 01:40:14.513
You fight on as the sun begins to set.

01:40:16.133 --> 01:40:22.853
Anya reminds you that you need to upload the map file into the lightmass bomb so that its internal AI can know where to send the missiles.

01:40:23.953 --> 01:40:33.073
You finally make it to the open-air car holding the lightmass bomb, and the locust leader Rom is there, with a swarm of krill flying around him.

01:40:33.213 --> 01:40:34.453
This motherfucker.

01:40:34.933 --> 01:40:37.193
From above, we hear, Yeah, baby!

01:40:37.553 --> 01:40:42.913
As Cole turns on a spotlight mounted to his helicopter and fries the krill surrounding Rom.

01:40:43.133 --> 01:40:44.853
Cole is so fucking cool!

01:40:44.873 --> 01:40:47.673
I fucking love Cole!

01:40:48.333 --> 01:40:53.053
Rom yells out, Serve the Queen, as he advances on you and Dom.

01:40:53.533 --> 01:40:56.833
That's horrifying to hear as someone gets into a fight.

01:40:57.633 --> 01:41:03.713
This is the gnarliest fight by far, and it takes every skill you've learned through the game to beat him.

01:41:04.893 --> 01:41:09.993
But once you do, he sprays his blood and guts everywhere as he falls to the floor dead.

01:41:10.173 --> 01:41:11.193
Yeah, fuck you, Ram.

01:41:11.553 --> 01:41:11.913
Rom?

01:41:12.053 --> 01:41:12.413
Ram?

01:41:12.413 --> 01:41:13.053
Doesn't matter.

01:41:13.073 --> 01:41:13.653
Fuck you.

01:41:13.673 --> 01:41:14.853
Yeah, it's our AAM.

01:41:14.873 --> 01:41:15.933
I'm not even entirely sure.

01:41:16.533 --> 01:41:19.493
The helicopter pulls up next to the train matching its speed.

01:41:20.233 --> 01:41:22.773
Dom hops onto it as you run to the Lightmass Bomb.

01:41:23.573 --> 01:41:28.053
You upload the map information, and the Lightmass Bomb arms itself with the knowledge of its target.

01:41:29.033 --> 01:41:34.873
You look up in horror, as you see that the bridge up ahead is blown out, and you need to get the fuck off the train.

01:41:35.553 --> 01:41:38.673
The helicopter flies in, and you reach out for Dom's hand.

01:41:39.733 --> 01:41:44.473
But you two are so beefy, your fat fingers can barely grab each other.

01:41:46.193 --> 01:41:51.153
The helicopter almost hits a pole as the train begins to cross the blown out bridge and swerves.

01:41:52.353 --> 01:41:58.293
The train tips over the edge of the bridge, and you jump, grabbing Dom's hand.

01:41:59.773 --> 01:42:06.173
The bomb falls the golden yellow emulsion below, where it deploys several torpedo-like devices off itself.

01:42:07.153 --> 01:42:14.293
The torpedoes all take off in different directions, and we follow one as it directs itself deeper and deeper into the earth.

01:42:15.633 --> 01:42:21.173
It crashes into a wall and bursts through it into a locus tunnel, pinning a locus to the ground as it does.

01:42:22.813 --> 01:42:31.533
The bomb explodes, and we follow the shock wave as it kills scores of locus and hollow creatures as it travels through the many tunnels.

01:42:31.673 --> 01:42:32.393
Oh, hell yeah.

01:42:33.593 --> 01:42:39.393
From above, you watch the ground beneath you explode as you hang there one-handed.

01:42:40.333 --> 01:42:44.173
Colonel Hoffman walks over to the edge of the helicopter and looks down at you hanging there.

01:42:45.153 --> 01:42:51.813
He gives you a stern nod of approval, and you look back and return the nod, still hanging by one hand.

01:42:54.093 --> 01:42:59.853
Finally, Colonel Hoffman thinks you're worthy of living and bends down to take your other hand.

01:43:01.433 --> 01:43:14.073
They both pull you up and into the helicopter, as the other bombs detonate around the area, sending fireballs into the sky and entire mountain ranges sinking into the ground, crushing the enemy forces below.

01:43:15.993 --> 01:43:20.913
As you sail off into the sunset, Dom asks, so what are we doing tomorrow?

01:43:22.453 --> 01:43:31.773
And then they do their beefy fist bump, and they're like, yeah, we're beef, beef, beef, boys, beef, beef, beef, boys, beefy beef, boys, beef, beef, beef, boys, we're beefy beef, boys.

01:43:32.533 --> 01:43:40.413
Well, Colonel gives a rousing speech as we watch the world burn, saying that the humans may have suffered defeat in the past.

01:43:41.233 --> 01:43:43.673
Today, we look toward a new future.

01:43:44.833 --> 01:43:48.373
The voiceover is replaced by the voice of the locust queen.

01:43:49.053 --> 01:43:56.593
Reciting the lyrics to Mad World, she says that while the humans celebrate today, they do not know why we wage this war.

01:43:57.013 --> 01:43:59.433
The dreams in which they're dying are the best I've ever had.

01:44:00.313 --> 01:44:02.913
She finally comes into the camera's view for the first time.

01:44:03.873 --> 01:44:08.313
She's decked out in red and silver armor riding on a flying hollow creature.

01:44:08.653 --> 01:44:10.473
Oh, she's one of those badass queens.

01:44:10.953 --> 01:44:14.813
Yeah, she says that we can't stop and we will not stop.

01:44:15.413 --> 01:44:19.033
The camera shows her face, and we see that it's not a locust.

01:44:19.873 --> 01:44:20.513
It's a human.

01:44:21.993 --> 01:44:24.013
No, their queen was one of us?

01:44:24.033 --> 01:44:25.913
One of us the whole time.

01:44:25.913 --> 01:44:29.513
That is the most pick me ass bitch shit you could do.

01:44:30.113 --> 01:44:34.393
She says that we will fight until we die, and we're not dead yet.

01:44:35.013 --> 01:44:41.753
She kicks off on her flying mount, and it soars at the camera as the world burns behind it, cutting to black.

01:44:43.453 --> 01:44:45.933
And that was Gears of War.

01:44:46.693 --> 01:44:48.413
That was cool as fuck.

01:44:48.673 --> 01:44:51.733
I need that to be an entry in the Expendables franchise.

01:44:52.333 --> 01:44:54.913
How fucking sick would the Expendables boys be in that?

01:44:54.933 --> 01:44:56.413
Oh my gosh, all those guys?

01:44:56.433 --> 01:44:57.653
Yeah, that would be great, right?

01:44:57.673 --> 01:45:00.913
Yeah, that was way more interesting than I thought it would be.

01:45:00.933 --> 01:45:08.173
It is a great political thriller, but there are sequences where they do it through the lens of a horror movie, which is very fun.

01:45:08.333 --> 01:45:11.653
Yeah, and the Locust Queen being a human the whole fucking time?

01:45:11.673 --> 01:45:12.853
The whole time.

01:45:12.873 --> 01:45:15.713
Oh, what is she the fuck up to?

01:45:15.733 --> 01:45:17.033
I don't like it.

01:45:17.313 --> 01:45:18.813
Uh-uh, not one bit.

01:45:18.833 --> 01:45:22.093
But yeah, this game spawned several games after this.

01:45:22.873 --> 01:45:26.593
I think this is going to end up on our list of having to just go through the whole fucking series.

01:45:27.713 --> 01:45:31.573
We're starting to wrap up a couple of those that we started, so we might as well.

01:45:31.593 --> 01:45:35.393
We're almost caught up on the Bioshocks, you know, or we're jamming through it.

01:45:35.413 --> 01:45:37.373
But no, that was way more fun than I thought it'd be.

01:45:38.553 --> 01:45:40.533
I don't find anyone in the game fuckable.

01:45:40.553 --> 01:45:42.113
Okay, that's fine.

01:45:42.133 --> 01:45:42.913
You don't really have to.

01:45:42.933 --> 01:45:44.553
They're a little too big.

01:45:44.573 --> 01:45:45.993
I think I'd be afraid of fucking any of them.

01:45:46.193 --> 01:45:49.253
Yeah, no, that's a lot of, like I sang, beef.

01:45:50.353 --> 01:45:52.633
But I do like Cole as a character.

01:45:52.653 --> 01:45:56.173
I know, I understand that it does submit to some stereotypes.

01:45:56.633 --> 01:46:01.533
But man, if that's not fucking fun, it sounds like he had fun doing it too.

01:46:01.553 --> 01:46:03.453
Like the kind of energy you bring to that role.

01:46:03.633 --> 01:46:04.713
It's kind of hard to fake.

01:46:04.733 --> 01:46:10.293
Like that passion and that joy that you bring to this murderous warlord character is very fun.

01:46:10.353 --> 01:46:14.713
Well, it's kind of like they say in Kick Ass 2, it's not a stereotype, it's a trope that's different.

01:46:15.893 --> 01:46:16.393
Damn it.

01:46:16.393 --> 01:46:16.773
Yeah.

01:46:18.133 --> 01:46:18.693
Cool.

01:46:18.753 --> 01:46:20.433
But yeah, so that was Gears of War.

01:46:20.453 --> 01:46:21.713
I'm so happy to have done it.

01:46:21.713 --> 01:46:24.933
I had forgot, like I played it when it first came out, and I haven't played it since.

01:46:24.933 --> 01:46:27.393
And I, oh, this game, so great.

01:46:27.593 --> 01:46:28.753
Did you do the sequels?

01:46:29.033 --> 01:46:29.813
I did up to three.

01:46:29.833 --> 01:46:33.153
I didn't go past that personally, but it was just because I didn't have an Xbox anymore.

01:46:33.393 --> 01:46:34.293
Oh yeah, we still don't.

01:46:34.393 --> 01:46:43.573
Yeah, so I'm like saving up some money to upgrade my PC so I can get through all of them again and get like some really nice games going, because you can play pretty much anything on Xbox on PC.

01:46:43.693 --> 01:46:44.613
Yeah, that makes sense.

01:46:45.113 --> 01:46:45.913
Very cool.

01:46:45.933 --> 01:46:46.673
That was really fun.

01:46:46.673 --> 01:46:49.993
I really particularly enjoyed the history that you brought to this, too.

01:46:50.253 --> 01:46:50.833
Oh, thank you.

01:46:50.853 --> 01:46:55.453
The context of how Epic came together and have brought it through.

01:46:55.473 --> 01:46:57.733
Now, did Epic do all of the sequels as well?

01:46:57.753 --> 01:46:59.613
Like, has Gears of War stayed in the Epic house?

01:46:59.653 --> 01:47:00.613
Oh yeah, that's theirs.

01:47:00.633 --> 01:47:01.013
Cool.

01:47:01.113 --> 01:47:03.613
Yeah, and this team went on to make a little game called Fortnite.

01:47:04.113 --> 01:47:05.093
Shut up.

01:47:05.113 --> 01:47:06.273
Fortnite's an Epic game?

01:47:06.293 --> 01:47:07.733
Yeah, Fortnite's an Epic game.

01:47:07.853 --> 01:47:09.453
Wow, so they just print money.

01:47:09.613 --> 01:47:10.953
Yeah, they're really good at it.

01:47:12.113 --> 01:47:24.253
You know, we talk about Valve being hit makers, but Epic is one of those ones that are also equally as up there with Valve in terms of innovation, pushing the limits of gaming, and also just making banger after banger.

01:47:24.313 --> 01:47:26.353
That's, you know what, good for them.

01:47:26.373 --> 01:47:26.853
Good for...

01:47:26.873 --> 01:47:27.753
was it Cliffy B?

01:47:27.773 --> 01:47:28.393
Cliffy B.

01:47:28.413 --> 01:47:29.173
Cliffy B, like a...

01:47:29.813 --> 01:47:32.773
Like someone who's trying to be cool saying Cliff Bar.

01:47:32.813 --> 01:47:33.153
Yeah.

01:47:34.633 --> 01:47:35.913
Throw me a Cliffy B.

01:47:37.553 --> 01:47:38.353
That's the worst.

01:47:38.373 --> 01:47:40.973
I hope nobody calls a Cliff Bar a Cliffy B.

01:47:43.533 --> 01:47:46.893
So there's a Cliff Bar headquarters in Northern California, and I visited it.

01:47:47.473 --> 01:47:50.713
In the Cliff Bar HQ, there is a rock climbing wall.

01:47:51.153 --> 01:47:55.353
Like in the warehouse where they have all the boxes like out so you can taste test whatever you want.

01:47:56.033 --> 01:47:58.353
It's the most Berkeley shit that's ever Berkeley'd.

01:47:59.253 --> 01:48:04.193
I mean, on their logo, it has a man climbing a mountain, so I guess that makes sense they would have that.

01:48:04.213 --> 01:48:06.713
It's just funny that like they leaned that hard into it.

01:48:06.873 --> 01:48:08.433
Okay, but like OSHA exists.

01:48:08.433 --> 01:48:10.173
Why would you put a rock climbing wall?

01:48:11.773 --> 01:48:12.493
You know what I mean?

01:48:12.513 --> 01:48:13.453
Never mind.

01:48:13.493 --> 01:48:15.033
But that's fucking great.

01:48:15.053 --> 01:48:16.153
I really appreciated it.

01:48:16.173 --> 01:48:22.513
I thought this was going to be dumb because you open with this is super testosterone fuel, and I was like, dude, stuff.

01:48:22.593 --> 01:48:25.033
Yeah, that's not your usual cup of tea, but you know what?

01:48:25.273 --> 01:48:27.013
I think these games surprise you every time.

01:48:27.213 --> 01:48:28.913
Yeah, I covered Lollipop Chainsaw.

01:48:28.933 --> 01:48:30.913
I guess I do like dude stuff.

01:48:31.453 --> 01:48:38.133
But you know, like when it's aggressively testosterone focused, my eyes kind of glaze over, and I'm like, but are you focusing on the right things?

01:48:38.153 --> 01:48:39.133
And yes, they were.

01:48:39.193 --> 01:48:41.353
The character building sounds incredible.

01:48:41.373 --> 01:48:45.613
You know, the closeness you get with the characters and how you can say, oh, and Baird is being a piece of shit.

01:48:45.633 --> 01:48:46.433
Of course he was.

01:48:46.453 --> 01:48:49.873
You know, Cole was being the party animal who everyone loves.

01:48:49.893 --> 01:48:50.593
Of course he was.

01:48:50.613 --> 01:48:51.413
He's fucking great.

01:48:51.673 --> 01:48:56.053
And that love of Dom for his family is a trope we will see in other franchises to come.

01:48:56.433 --> 01:48:57.073
Very true.

01:48:58.793 --> 01:49:00.413
I'm sorry I had to bring it back to that.

01:49:00.433 --> 01:49:01.553
But no, that was fucking great.

01:49:01.573 --> 01:49:02.613
I enjoyed the shit out of that.

01:49:02.993 --> 01:49:03.373
Yeah.

01:49:03.393 --> 01:49:10.093
And you know, it's funny because this game, like you were just talking about all the testosterone and all the fucking hard male energy and stuff.

01:49:10.113 --> 01:49:11.673
Like, I'm not even that kind of a guy.

01:49:12.213 --> 01:49:13.173
No, you're not.

01:49:13.373 --> 01:49:22.773
No, we talked about in our cyberpunk episode, I call myself a demiguy just because like, I don't consider myself into any of that alpha male kind of like, this is what masculinity looks like kind of bullshit.

01:49:22.893 --> 01:49:23.273
Yeah.

01:49:23.433 --> 01:49:27.793
But there's something about this game that just speaks to the inner male in me fully.

01:49:28.713 --> 01:49:30.753
It awakens something masculine in you.

01:49:30.773 --> 01:49:31.733
It does, yeah.

01:49:31.793 --> 01:49:32.813
Like, do I want a beer?

01:49:35.713 --> 01:49:40.553
Yeah, it does take you back to that Spike TV era of just like hardcore masculinity.

01:49:40.693 --> 01:49:44.933
And that's, and again, for context, that's what was happening at this time in media.

01:49:45.073 --> 01:49:49.853
You know, the conversations on Spike TV were about this and like, the man show existed.

01:49:50.413 --> 01:49:51.233
Don't look it up.

01:49:51.513 --> 01:49:58.013
But, you know, they had characters called Juggies who would just jump on trampolines so their titties would bounce.

01:49:58.273 --> 01:50:00.873
That's what was normal on TV at the time.

01:50:00.873 --> 01:50:04.193
That's how every episode ended, with just girls jumping on trampolines.

01:50:04.273 --> 01:50:06.193
And opened, and between segments.

01:50:06.213 --> 01:50:08.553
It was just, it was their bumper.

01:50:08.573 --> 01:50:09.453
It was everything.

01:50:09.473 --> 01:50:10.113
That's true.

01:50:10.333 --> 01:50:13.973
But for Gears of War to kind of say, I accept that that's what's happening.

01:50:14.093 --> 01:50:17.973
And, you know, it's a male-dominated team from what you've described of the leadership team, at least.

01:50:17.993 --> 01:50:20.133
Cliffy B., a boy's boy, you know.

01:50:20.293 --> 01:50:20.613
Right.

01:50:20.673 --> 01:50:21.453
He's my dude.

01:50:22.373 --> 01:50:27.733
But like, bringing that in, in a playful way, but that's still meaningful, where it's complex.

01:50:27.793 --> 01:50:29.693
You talk about the politics of these groups.

01:50:29.713 --> 01:50:32.893
You talk about the interpersonal relationships between these people.

01:50:32.913 --> 01:50:33.913
It's not just dude stuff.

01:50:33.933 --> 01:50:35.653
This is just well-written story.

01:50:35.993 --> 01:50:36.893
Very true, yeah.

01:50:36.913 --> 01:50:37.953
They really crafted it.

01:50:37.973 --> 01:50:38.673
They cared.

01:50:38.753 --> 01:50:41.313
And you can tell with every ounce of it.

01:50:41.473 --> 01:50:42.293
Yeah, absolutely.

01:50:42.313 --> 01:50:43.153
Oh, that was really fun.

01:50:43.173 --> 01:50:44.373
Thank you for taking us through that.

01:50:44.713 --> 01:50:45.453
Absolutely.

01:50:45.473 --> 01:50:46.913
And thank you all for listening.

01:50:46.933 --> 01:50:49.953
If you enjoyed that episode, please remember to like and subscribe.

01:50:50.033 --> 01:50:50.393
Yes.

01:50:50.453 --> 01:50:56.013
Next week is a game that I'm doing, and there is some space shit going on too.

01:50:56.033 --> 01:50:58.133
So if you dig this kind of shit, stick around.

01:50:58.213 --> 01:50:59.253
Yes, definitely.

01:50:59.573 --> 01:51:02.593
And don't forget to go to our website, theothercastlepodcast.com.

01:51:02.593 --> 01:51:04.553
That's the othercastlepodcast.com.

01:51:04.573 --> 01:51:08.313
We've got links to every episode we've covered, and we have links to our Patreon.

01:51:08.393 --> 01:51:16.053
It's two bucks a month, and you get access to all of the hidden episodes and the bonus episodes we've made exclusively for that group.

01:51:16.253 --> 01:51:18.713
And I believe there's a seven day trial right now.

01:51:18.733 --> 01:51:22.473
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01:51:22.673 --> 01:51:23.733
Binge it for a week.

01:51:23.993 --> 01:51:26.273
Enjoy it, and then hang out with us on the Discord.

01:51:26.593 --> 01:51:29.913
Yes, please do come over there, sign up, do that kind of stuff.

01:51:29.933 --> 01:51:31.853
You can listen to the episodes completely free.

01:51:31.873 --> 01:51:32.433
We don't care.

01:51:32.553 --> 01:51:33.753
Yeah, we make the content.

01:51:33.773 --> 01:51:34.973
We just hope you enjoy it.

01:51:35.353 --> 01:51:49.993
And some people who are hanging out with us on Patreon are Trevor, Unuseful, I think you're pretty useful, Molly, Brian, Krisha, Molly Mock, Jackie, Ellen, and of course, Tijan.

01:51:50.073 --> 01:51:50.753
Thanks guys.

01:51:50.793 --> 01:51:53.213
This show is made possible by listeners like you.

01:51:53.833 --> 01:51:55.833
Yes, thank you so much Goombas.

01:51:56.213 --> 01:51:57.973
We'll see you over on Discord.

01:51:57.993 --> 01:52:00.653
We'll see you in the comment section on YouTube.

01:52:01.413 --> 01:52:04.393
And until next time, this is Tom and Andrea reminding you...

01:52:05.033 --> 01:52:06.733
Choo-choo for the Coltrane!

01:52:06.913 --> 01:52:08.593
And don't skip the cutscenes.