AI Summary
5 min readThe hosts open by discussing their chaotic sleep schedules—one of them is deep in the "twelve to eighteen month" sleep regression phase with a toddler, while the other describes his body "violently resisting" any attempt to shift his recording pattern into a sustainable sleep life. This personal chaos sets the tone for a wide-ranging episode where they dig into a half-dozen games, critique design philosophies, and vent about industry trends, all while maintaining the live, unpolished energy of a conversation happening in real time.
Zero Company: Star Wars XCOM with Friction
The bulk of the early conversation centers on Zero Company, a Star Wars-themed tactical game in the XCOM mold. One host has been playing it extensively and describes a roster that expands far beyond the initial four-person squad, creating a "Mass Effect roster" of characters you want to bring along but can't. The game's secondary class system is a highlight—it lets you give a favorite ability (like a rocket salvo) to a character who already has a useful passive (like finishing off low-health enemies), which "smooths out the ride entirely." The droid companion remains competitive because it can carry three types of grenades and grant extra turns to your strongest character.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:38) **Podcast Start & Host Sleep Struggles** - Woolie and Pat open with banter about the brutal sleep regression phase of toddlerhood.
- 2 (03:23) **Zero Company (ZCom) Deep Dive** - Woolie details his extensive playtime with the Star Wars XCOM-style game, praising its fun factor despite technical issues.
- 3 (26:58) **Zero Company's Design Flaws and Comparison to Midnight Suns** - The hosts critique the game's lack of a grid system and the static nature of NPCs on the ship.
- 4 (37:28) **ZCom's Cult and Game Feel** - Woolie shares his thoughts on the game's narrative and the cultist enemies, while Pat draws a parallel to necromancy in Pathfinder.
- 5 (41:18) **Quick Hits: Generic Fighter Maybe & Avatar** - Pat briefly discusses a funny fighting game demo and a sweaty session in *Avatar: The Last Airbender*.
- 6 (43:51) **Dark Souls 2: Earthen Peak to Iron Keep** - Woolie and Pat discuss the infamous and nonsensical elevator transition between these two areas.
- 7 (50:03) **Onimusha: Warlords - Burai Boss Fight** - Woolie praises the fight against Burai as one of the best boss fights he has ever played.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Download MP3 | Watch Video Episode
Full Timestamps: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vT5gb77xKsyoGS-vDHSUp9kZTrMy3Euiy9pwx7kceoZv7RS09Kqjh6ep7qLAytMQayzQca18tlHVE_y/pub
Watch full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@CastleSuperBeastArchive
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