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We pay our respects to actor Lance Reddick, known for his roles in Destiny and The Wire, who has sadly passed away. The PS5 Pro is reportedly in development; what features could it bring to make it worth the cost of entry? We'll also delve into the latest Persona 5 spin-off game that has been revealed and give our impressions of the Diablo IV beta. Lastly, we'll touch on Ys Origins impressions and what you should consider when buying a gaming PC as Brad considers joining the ranks of the PC elite.

This week on Dense Pixels: Micah gives his impressions after some time spent in Like a Dragon: Shin. Sony has stirred up controversy by claiming that Microsoft may release a version of Call of Duty on PlayStation which will contain bugs and errors that only emerge in the game's final level or after later updates. Meanwhile, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has expressed concerns over the Nintendo Switch's capability to run Call of Duty in an Xbox deal. The Microsoft-Activision deal is likely to pass EU regulators, despite initial doubts. Fans of DC comics have been eagerly awaiting the release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, but a recent preview and delay announcement has cast doubt on the game's potential. Finally, Square Enix looks set to replace its NFT-loving CEO, while fans of Elden Ring have something to look forward to with the announcement of an expansion DLC called Shadow of Erdtree.

We've been teasing it, and it's finally here. This week, we hold the Tournament of Controllers as we argue to decide the single best first-party controller of all time the only true way you can - a single elimination tournament! 

Carrie asked and begged and pleaded, but finally...her prayers have been answered. Golden Sun will be on the Nintendo Switch. We talk about that and much more from the Nintendo Direct last week including what we could see in Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and the sudden drop of Metroid Prime: Remastered. Nintendo happened to buck one of the negative trends we've seen in the game industry lately. Tape to Tape is the hockey rougelike (yes, you heard me correctly) that he never knew he needed. We also get way too nerdy when discussing the greatest era of video game music. 

There was a leak of alpha footage for the upcoming Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, so Micah needed to give his thoughts on what he saw and the apparent direction the gameplay for the denouement of the series is going. We discuss Activision-Blizzard paying $35 million to the SEC out of the goodness of their hearts (according to them), the live service bloodletting that occurred in the game industry last week, the Grammy Awards finally catching up to the times, and we weigh in on the controversy that is the release of Hogwarts Legacy.

We are still shook from the Royal Rumble and we can't restrain ourselves from talking about it right up top. Is The Bloodline storyline the greatest wrestling storyline...ever? We get a Hi-Fi Rush from the surprising stealth drop the Microsoft hit us with. Republicans set their fake outrage onto Xbox, and what are our comfort food games?

Marvel's Avengers arrives at its inevitable fate. We discuss who's to blame and why this example in particular was such a waste. It was generally a brutal week in the game industry as we review the frustrating nature of the layoffs that befell many notable gaming organizations. We also ponder what 343 Studios' involvement should be in the Halo franchise going forward. Blizzard continues to show poor management, and one manager took a stand. Also what is the worst candy?

Ubisoft had to pull investors onto an emergency call to tell them they are cutting over $200 million of overhead thanks to lagging sales. We discuss what this means for the publisher and speculate on their long term future. Brad is going back in time by finally playing Final Fantasy V. Carrie admits we were all right again as she is loving Elden Ring. And the Monster Hunter duo has officially Rise(n) as Carrie mocks Brad for being an unga bunga hunter.

It's the first pod of 2023, and while Micah has been keeping his gaming the same, Brad has basically become Carrie completing Persona 5 Royal and getting into...Monster Hunter Rise? SquareEnix has refused to turn over a new leaf this year, IO Interactive streamlines the Hitman World of Assassination, Microsoft stayed true to their word in regards to unionization, and we reflect on the year that was in pro wrestling.

It's our Game of the Year pod! We discuss the games that made our top 5 this year in what ended up being a very chalk year for us. We also discuss Amazon being the surprise publisher of the next Tomb Raider, Epic Games getting absolutely crushed by the FTC for misleading kids in Fortnite, Riot Games begging to weasel out of their FTX sponsorship, and what moments in gaming caused us to have to push the controller away for a time. 

It's a FULL show after a week off. Brad is drowning in Persona 5 Royal. Carrie FINALLY is playing Hades - and loving it. Micah is of two minds on Marvel's Midnight Suns. There were a bevy of announcements at The Game Awards. The FTC is looking to flex their muscles on the Microsoft-Activision deal. Steph Curry is producing a Toe Jam & Earl movie. Woke reviewers killed Days Gone. The World Cup has been bonkers! Like we said, so much show this week!

Carrie and Brad both finished Pentiment this week, and we have some (spoiler-free) thoughts about the emotional toll the game can take. Carrie also wrapped up Pokemon Scarlet and we talk about why The Pokemon Company isn't likely to care too much about the performance issues the game is suffering. Regulatory agencies are starting to take a hard look at the Microsoft-Activision acquisition, much to the delight of Jim Ryan. And finally we shame the game companies doing the worst to combat climate change. 

This week, Brad and Carrie discuss the performance issues plaguing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the surprise of Pentiment being one of the most engrossing games of the year, NetEase and Activision-Blizzard's falling out, Yugi Naka running afoul of the law, the massive takedown of Tommy Tallarico, video game endings, and our ability to survive in the wilderness.

The PSVR2 Headset was finally unveiled, and it finds itself in a tough spot in the marketplace. We discuss the place for the PSVR2 in a tough field and what the future of VR generally may look like. Brad gives his impressions on Soulstone Survivors and Gordian Quest, Square had themselves a tough week, capped off by the thud of an NFT game announcement in Symbiogenesis, and Riot demonstrates the weakest way to be an ally. 

We discuss more NASCAR in this podcast than probably any previous podcast combined because a NASCAR driver pulled a real video game move...and it worked! We put a bow on the Hellena Taylor-Bayonetta 3 dust-up; spoilers: dude, we told you. Rough news for a former Square Enix game studio, and Brad and Micah are still Marvel Snap'ing like crazy.  

Our unplanned two week hiatus helped us really narrow down the news...and instead has us talking about the playing of video games! We - of course - discuss the Bayonetta and G4 controversies. But after that we talk Marvel Snap, Fallout 4, Inscryption, and Bowser's Fury. 

To the surprise of...no one?...Google Stadia is getting the lights turned out on it. We discuss why the platform was doomed to failure. Brad got himself a Steam Deck, and he discusses the hardware and UI experience, as well as the addictive gameplay of both Vampire Survivors and Rogue Legacy 2. The Saudi Arabian government announces their plan to further invest into gaming - we tell you why you needn't be concerned. Finally, Carrie talks about her most recent Game of the Year candidate: the absurdity that is Trombone Champ.

Twitch had themselves one hell of a week, as they cut down their creator revenue split, saw reporting of them being a prime destination for child predators, and saw a Senior Vice President dip out. Of course the alleged GTA hacker is a 17-year old kid; the context clues were right there! E3 is back whether we want it or not, EA is doing a FIFA collaboration that makes to much sense, and we discover what a "glizzy" is. 

We take a week off and the whole industry decides to blitz us with news. Fortunately(?) the Nintendo Direct and Sony State of Play presentations last week were pretty lackluster. But Capcom saved the day with a MASSIVE info dump of Street Fighter 6! We also discuss the shocking Grand Theft Auto 6 leak, and the sheer amount of Assassin's Creed announcements that came our way. Finally, we discover several people hold their controllers like psychos.

AAA Games are in a weird place right now and Halo Infinite is the latest example with the recent news drop concerning co-op. We discuss why this may be and why indies continue to thrive. Glen Schofield glorifies crunch culture, anti-trans folks in the gaming sphere get their deserved comeuppance, and is the CM Punk-Elite beef a work or a shoot?