What’s New With BitPunch?
Rich and I have been enjoying ourselves on Twitch. We have been playing multiple games separately and together and have also started streaming BitPunch Radio live on Twitch. It has an extra layer of setup and maintenance we have to adhere to but overall am enjoying the change of pace. Here are the games we’ve been streaming in August:
The Other Worlds (Game Pass Version) | Rich
Yakuza 3 Remastered (Game Pass Version) | Michael
The Ascent (Game Pass Version) | Michael/Rich
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster I/II/III (Steam) | Michael
Fallout 76 (Game Pass Version) | Michael/Rich
Halo: Infinite Beta (Xbox One) | Rich
Spelunky 2 (Steam) | Rich
Unfortunately, Rich and I playing The Ascent is on hold due to the latest patch causing issues with the Game Pass version of the game. We decided to put a pause on that and picked up on Fallout 76, which has been a lot of fun figuring out those systems. You can watch us stream to Twitch multiple days a week but always find our archives on YouTube.
-Michael
All The Final Fantasy!
By: Michael Perry
I have been consuming a lot of Final Fantasy this year. While I was out of work, I played through Final Fantasy XII on my Switch. The Pixel Remaster series being announced was an instant buy for me that I’ve been enjoying streaming on Twitch. Then looking for something a little more lengthy, I ended up downloading Final Fantasy XIV and giving that another shot (still a tough struggle at the beginning.) I even found myself installing Final Fantasy XII again from Game Pass before questioning why the heck I would even do that?!?
All I’m saying is I may be a little obsessed this year on Final Fantasy. I’ve completed the first two games in the Pixel Remaster series and am currently playing through the third and enjoying my time in that world. These games show their dated experience, but I’m still enjoying them to see the evolution of the series. One was extremely bare-bones and held a generic story about the four warriors of light. Two brought in some enhancements, including a unique leveling system, a rotating fourth member of the team, dialogue options, and more. That game felt like an opportunity for Square to change things up, but the poor reception had them going back on their ways for the third entry. Three is fun so far but has several moments of leaving you wondering where to go.
The series really hit its stride on the SNES with the later entries. Those that were excited about the Pixel Remaster series were really looking forward to IV, V, and VI. Final Fantasy IV is coming out on September 8th. 2021 and my goal is to be finished with Yakuza 3 Remastered and Final Fantasy III before then. Keep checking back on our Twitch and YouTube to stay up to date!
So I bought A Gaming PC
By: Rich Matney
What have I done? Never did I see myself in this position, where I would not have already purchased the latest XBOX or Playstation console this far into the new generation, but here we are. Unfortunately, I have been extremely unlucky in my pursuits to get either console due to the massive demand and supply shortage.
I have always been a console gamer up until very recently when Michael and I wanted to start recording and commentating over gameplay. Having a 6-year-old MacBook Pro as my only computer, I started looking into streaming and was able to secure a slot in the streaming service Shadow. This changed everything for us and allowed us to play through multiple games and let me dip my toe into the PC world with a low cost of entry.
All that glory faded as Michael and I tried to do more complicated content. Adding webcam's and streaming to Twitch was just too much. Also, Shadow was eventually sold during this time, and the service became more unreliable as a result.
So I broke down and bought a gaming computer. I LOVE IT. It makes streaming so much easier, games look better and run smoother. Services like Game Pass and cloud saves made this switch relatively painless. I find myself browsing Steam looking for games I missed these past few years and I can't wait to play things like HALO Infinite, Resident Evil Village, and eventually something like Starfield.
August Episodes of BitPunch Radio
026 - Halo Infinite, Ice Breakers, Yakuza 3
This week Rich discusses the Blood of Elves Witcher book, streaming on Twitch, and the Halo Infinite Technical Preview. Michael starts off with ice breaker questions, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, and more.
027 - Suicide Squad, Pixel Remaster, Animal Rights
This week, Rich and Michael discuss animal rights, The Ascent and our technical issues, Suicide Squad spoilers, and a whole host of other topics.
028 - Witcher Talk, Final Fantasy Bonanza, Q&A
This week, Rich and Michael discuss Final Fantasy, Witcher stuff, Fallout 76, The Ascent, GamesCom news, and much more.
NEWS NEWS NEWS
Rich and I have had severe bugs during our co-op playthrough of The Ascent. Going through the Game Pass version has been a chore with us forcing our way through cutscenes, stuttering, and other game breaking bugs. We’ve discussed on the podcast and on our streams that we needed to take a break before a new patch was released. Looks like the latest patch addresses many of these concerns: The Ascent gets another performance patch to address stuttering and bugs | PC Gamer
GamesCom came and went this year with some major announcements. We covered it on ep. 028 but you can view the GamesCom site for all major news stories: gamescom 2021 | The Heart of Gaming | gamescom
At some point we plan on playing some Xcom together. We hear great things and would like to see if Parsec can handle us doing some local co-op together. If Xcom is your thing, the team is working on a brand new game set in the Marvel universe. Comic Books are super hot right now, and will continue to be for who knows how long! https://www.polygon.com/22641096/marvels-midnight-suns-announcement-trailer-xcom-firaxis-gamescom-2021
Halo Infinite is having a staggered release date throughout the year and beyond. Find the latest news here: Making Sense Of Halo Infinite's December Release Date, The Latest Ever In The Year For Halo - GameSpot