In this episode of the Preloaded podcast, the hosts discuss gaming news, including the release of Grand Theft Auto V on next-gen consoles, the breakup of Warner Bros. Games, and the upcoming Summer Game Fest event. They also focus on the highly anticipated game, Starfield, discussing conflicting reports about its release date and sharing their thoughts on narrative and dialogue choices in games.
In this episode of the Preloaded podcast, the hosts, Josh and Jackson, discuss various gaming news topics. They start by mentioning the release of Grand Theft Auto V on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, which will feature technical improvements and a standalone edition of the multiplayer mode, GTA Online. They also highlight the news of Warner Bros. Games being broken up due to an AT&T merger, which raises questions about the future of their game studios. The hosts then shift their focus towards the upcoming Summer Game Fest event, organized by Jeff Keighley, and discuss the participation of big gaming companies like Ubisoft and PlayStation.
The main topic of the episode revolves around the highly anticipated game, Starfield. The hosts mention conflicting reports about the release date, with Jeff Grubb suggesting a spring 2022 release while Jason Schreier believes it will be delayed until late 2022. They express their excitement for the game and speculate about how an open-world space RPG will be implemented, considering the challenges of creating a compelling open world in space.
The hosts also discuss their thoughts on narrative and dialogue choices in games. They express some criticisms, such as the limitations it places on the writers, the potential for out-of-character choices, and the poor flow and visual discrepancies that can occur. However, they acknowledge that some games have executed this feature well, such as Assassin’s Creed Origins.
In the mailbag section, a listener named Glenn questions the hosts’ opinions on narrative and dialogue choices in games. Both hosts express their agreement with Glenn’s points, noting that they often feel unnecessary and can detract from a well-crafted story. They emphasize the importance of compelling choices with meaningful consequences if games choose to include this feature.
Overall, the episode provides a comprehensive overview of the latest gaming news and offers thoughtful insights into the challenges and potential of narrative choices in games, specifically in the context of Starfield.