Podcast Unlocked (general)

With an official Discord chat integration on the way, the Podcast Unlocked crew discusses other features they'd like to see get an update or overhaul along with Xbox's Summer Spotlight program that's been a little underwhelming, though it did introduce the team to a particularly cool giraffe. Plus, the team discusses some awesome community creations for Halo Infinite and The Simpsons: Hit and Run.

Direct download: 080222_Unlocked_Libsyn.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:30pm EDT

Two big topics dominate this week's episode. First and foremost is our recap and analysis of the first weekend of the second Halo Infinite multiplayer test flight. We were all incredibly impressed by what 343 has put together so far. And second, we discuss the unexpected news that Square Enix-owned Crystal Dynamics, makers of Tomb Raider, will be partnering with Microsoft's The Initative studio on development of Perfect Dark. Join us!

Direct download: Unlocked_092821_audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:43pm EDT

Microsoft's first 10/10-rated game from IGN in quite some time comes from the most unexpected place: Microsoft Flight Simulator! Reviewer Seth Macy joins us to discuss the next-gen brilliance of the first-party masterpiece. Plus: taking stock of Xbox Game Studios' impressive 2020 output, the teaser campaign for the Batman Court of Owls game, Gotham Knights, has us exhausted and annoyed, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_457.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:35pm EDT

Our Xbox crew discusses the Gears 5 campaign now that the review embargo has lifted (don't worry, no spoilers!). Plus: our impressions of Ghost Recon Breakpoint after playing six hours of it, Cyberpunk 2077's surprising multiplayer announcement, Telltale's even more surprising sorta-resurrection, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_409.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:57pm EDT

IGN's Monster Hunter expert Casey DeFreitas makes her Unlocked debut to give her impressions on the upcoming Monster Hunter World: Iceborne expansion. Plus, the crew discusses 343's commitment to a solid Halo Infinite experience on Xbox One, how The Outer World's toughest difficulty setting will completely change the game, and Ninja's move to Mixer along with the streaming service's odd clothing policies.

Direct download: unlocked405.mp4
Category:general -- posted at: 6:23pm EDT

Miranda and Brandin host Unlocked 403 in what feels like a very summer episode, which you can interpret as you will. The two discuss Hideo Kojima's comments on game streaming, the Gears 5 Tech Test, and their thoughts on Netflix's The Witcher trailer. 

Direct download: unlocked304.mp4
Category:general -- posted at: 7:10pm EDT

As rumors suggest that Xbox Scarlett is now one console instead of two, we discuss what that means for Xbox heading into the next generation. Plus: Alan Wake 2 is a lot more possible now than it was last week, EA executives forego their bonuses, the co-creator of Dead Space is making a narrative-driven game for PUBG Corp, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_400.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:02pm EDT

On this week's Xbox show, Sony and Microsoft announced a partnership. Yes, you read that right! We talk about their mutual cloud-gaming initiative. Plus: Call of Duty's development gets thrown into turmoil for next year, so we examine what effect it will have on the future of the franchise. And did Ubisoft just announce Splinter Cell or were they just "joking"? All that and more on this week's Unlocked!

Direct download: Unlocked_394.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:02pm EDT

On this week's Xbox show, the crew discusses their Rage 2 impressions and their thoughts on Red Dead Online's official launch and all the new content coming with it. Despite being just a few weeks away from E3, there's still other announcements rolling out, including the reveal of Ghost Recon Breakpoint, the unfortunate, concerning news from the Starbreeze financial call, and more.

Direct download: 393.output.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:30pm EDT

Ubisoft seems to have teased the next Assassin's Creed game in The Division 2! We discuss the apparent Viking theme and its likely next-gen debut. Plus: Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold might be bundled together, an anonymous millionaire wants to set up a real-life battle royale (and we have ideas! Boy, do we have ideas!), we get a few new tidbits of Borderlands 3 information, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_389.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:05pm EDT

Original Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios returns with a game that sounds an awful lot like Left 4 Dead...literally and figuratively. Plus: we try to predict Bethesda's just-announced E3 press conference, No Man's Sky keeps building, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_386.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:49pm EDT

This week, the crew talks about Black Friday deals, the Xbox One X, and more on the ongoing loot box drama. 

Direct download: Unlocked323_Podcast_112117_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:51pm EDT

This week, the crew talks about their Guardians, thoughts on the Tomb Raider trailer, and Fortnite (momentarily) ending the console war.

Direct download: Unlocked314_Podcast_092017_MP3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:30pm EDT

This week, the crew talks about Halo 6 and Halo 3: Anniversary not being at E3, quick Injustice 2 thoughts, and pour one out for Alan Wake.

Direct download: Unlocked296_Podcast_051617.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:20pm EDT

This week, the crew digs into the upcoming Star Wars game, the strong opening of the next Telltale series, and Prey thoughts.

Direct download: Unlocked292_Podcast_041917.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:03pm EDT

This week, Alanah, Marty, Destin, and Miranda get together to gab about Mass Effect: Andromeda, updates to the Xbox One UI, Evil Within 2 rumors, and good bangin'.

Direct download: Unlocked288_Podcast_032217_AUDIO_new.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:44pm EDT

Ryan's out in New York City, so Marty, Alanah, and Sean got together to chat about Xbox at PAX. Gears of War 4's Horde 3.0 is dope, Sonic Mania is a return to form, and we didn't realize that we actually missed Duke Nukem. They also chat about Tacoma, which is this month's IGN First.

Direct download: Unlocked262_Podcast_090716.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:09pm EDT

Ryan's on vacation this week, so Marty "Cracker Barrel Old Country Store" Sliva and Alanah "Bucca di Beppo" Pearce take the wheel and are joined by Miranda "Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar" Sanchez and Sean "Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Spirits" Finnegan. The crew talks about the lackluster Metal Gear Survive debut, Miranda's awesome Gears of War 4 visit, this fall's slew of shooters, Mass Effect Remastered rumors, and whether or not sheep have sex with other sheep.

I'm very sorry.

Direct download: Unlocked259_Podcast_081716.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:09pm EDT

Ryan's out, but the crew holds down the fort and chats about Battlefield 1, Battlefront 2, probably something with a 3, and Fable 4.

Direct download: Unlocked245_Podcast_051116_Audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:29pm EDT

Mitch's last show is weird, wonderful, and chaotic.

Direct download: Unlocked239_033016.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:46pm EDT

Ryan McCaffrey, Marty Sliva, Mitch Dyer, and Destin Legarie can hardly keep it together during this week's podcast, which has next-gen Xbox news, awful jokes, amazing impressions, and a discussion about id Software, Wolfenstein, and Oculus Rift as we prep for next week's debut of Call of Duty: Ghosts' multiplayer.

Also, we take a listener question for the intro of the show and discuss our off-topic hobbies.

Direct download: Podcast_Unlocked_Episode_107.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:37pm EDT

Direct download: Podcast_Unlocked_Episode_96.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:21pm EDT

Xbox Live Operations overlord Eric Neustadter (maybe you know him as "e") joins Locksmiths Mitch Dyer, Destin Legarie, and Ryan McCaffrey to talk about the history and evolution of Xbox Live. Eric shares stories and secrets about how the whole thing operates, what happens when you complain about awful users, what an always-online console would do to the Live team.

E sticks around to co-host and converse about a bunch of stuff this week, including next-gen games, the rumored Assassin's Creed IV, Gears of War Judgment's VIP pass, and this week's...hilarious releases.

HEADS UP: For whatever reason, this awesome episode was sabotaged by the mysterious ghosts that plague the IGN podcast room. No static this time, fortunately -- it just sounds like we're inhaling a whole lot of helium while hanging out and chatting.

Direct download: Podcast_Unlocked_Episode_88.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:22pm EDT

After a brief hiatus, we return to talk the abysmal failures of Aliens: Colonial Marines, the massive potential (but lack of convincing evidence) for Bungie's Destiny, and this week's new releases, including Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Crysis 3.

Direct download: Podcast_Unlocked_Episode_86.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:58pm EDT

This week Locksmiths Ryan McCaffrey, Mitch Dyer, and Destin Legarie dive deep into a discussion about the future Xbox console and its alleged always-online functionality. What does it mean, and is it a good thing? All this and more, including Dead Space 3 discussion, a new Assassin's Creed game, Red Box on 360, and Vanilla Ice.

Yup.

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Direct download: Podcast_Unlocked_Episode_85.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:00pm EDT

Direct download: Podcast_Unlocked_77.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:10pm EDT

Direct download: Podcast_Unlocked_76.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:28pm EDT

Locksmiths Ryan McCaffrey and Mitch Dyer bring Naomi Kyle on board for a bit before Destin Legarie returns to his rightful Unlocked throne. David Ellis from 343 Industries stops by this week to tell us about is crazy career path, from politics to prison guard to games press -- the long road to designing Halo 4's Spartan Ops campaign, essentially.

Big topics this week include:

Wreck-It Ralph - We saw it, we love it.

BioShock Infinite's absurd special edition.

Your emails, Dishonored, and whether or not games have been "dumbed down" in recent times.

Direct download: Podcast_Unlocked_Episode_74.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:30pm EDT

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