Franchise Speed Dating: Playing Five Famous Series for the First Time

Ben and Matt discuss Matt’s spoiler-free impressions of Avowed, the Elden Ring Nightreign network test, and news about layoffs and closures affecting Marvel Rivals and Wonder Woman (10:00). Then Ben looks for love in the latest installments of long-running video game franchises that he’s never previously played—Dynasty Warriors, Sniper Elite, Civilization, Like a Dragon, and Monster Hunter—by “speed-dating” each of their newly released sequels and deciding whether the series deserves a second digital date (30:30).

Host: Ben Lindbergh
Guest: Matt James
Producer: Devon Renaldo
Addition Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal