“Shouldn't have wished to live in more interesting times.” We conclude our thirteenth year of podcasts by covering the all-conquering, 2023 game of the year awards-sweeping, Baldur's Gate III. Leon, Jay, Leah and Rich - along with contributions from the mighty Cane and Rinse community, attempt to do justice to - and even pick a few holes in - this cosmically well-regarded RPG. From our relationships with the characters, to our relationships with each other in co-op mode, and to our experiences with the deep and flexible gameplay systems, we endeavour to discuss as much of Larian's behemoth as possible. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_650.mp3   Music featured in this issue: 1. I Want To Live (Instrumental Version) by Borislav Slavov2. Main Theme by Borislav SlavovYou can support Cane and Rinse and in return receive an often extended version of the podcast four weeks early, along with exclusive podcasts, if you subscribe to our Patreon for the minimum of $2 per month (+VAT).  Do you have an opinion about a game we're covering that you'd like read on the podcast? Then venture over to our forum and check out the list of upcoming games we're covering. Whilst there you can join in the conversations with our friendly community in discussing all things relating to videogames, along with lots of other stuff too. Sound good? Then come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum

“Automatons do not have bugs, Kate Walker. They simply display functional idiosyncracies.” In the aftermath of the golden age of graphic adventure games, the early 2000s offered plenty of ammunition for those who declared the genre to be dead. Microids was intent on changing the narrative when it released spiritual successor to cult-hit Amerzone, Syberia.  Chris Worthington, James, Michiel and Tony ask themselves if it was successful.  http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_649.mp3   Music featured in this issue:1. Main Theme by Dimitri Bodiansky/Nicolas Varley2. Black Eyes by Helena Romanski/Nicholas Varley/Dimitri Bodiansky/Inon Zur edited by Jay TaylorYou can support Cane and Rinse and in return receive an often extended version of the podcast four weeks early, along with exclusive podcasts, if you subscribe to our Patreon for the minimum of $2 per month (+VAT).  Do you have an opinion about a game we're covering that you'd like read on the podcast? Then venture over to our forum and check out the list of upcoming games we're covering. Whilst there you can join in the conversations with our friendly community in discussing all things relating to videogames, along with lots of other stuff too. Sound good? Then come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum

“The powers of the Gold Armlet are now yours to wield.” Team Ancient turned its attention from the urban grime of Streets of Rage 2 to the lush meadows, dry deserts and atmospheric caverns of Oasis for its Mega Drive follow-up, The Story of Thor. Leon, Chris Worthington, Michiel and community contributors' quest for the four spirits is on! As usual we discuss the art, the audio and the mashed-up mechanics of this action/RPG hybrid.  http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_648.mp3   Music featured in this issue:1. Introduction by Yuzo Koshiro2. Fireball by Yuzo Koshiro edited by Jay TaylorYou can support Cane and Rinse and in return receive an often extended version of the podcast four weeks early, along with exclusive podcasts, if you subscribe to our Patreon for the minimum of $2 per month (+VAT).  Do you have an opinion about a game we're covering that you'd like read on the podcast? Then venture over to our forum and check out the list of upcoming games we're covering. Whilst there you can join in the conversations with our friendly community in discussing all things relating to videogames, along with lots of other stuff too. Sound good? Then come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum

"That old coot had me locked up tight in his lab... But guess what? I GOT OUT!" This week's destination is the Last Resort hotel. Luxury, decadence, and packed to the rafters with happy haunts. Ryan, Leah and James brave the halls of the haunted hotel in Luigi's Mansion 3. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_647.mp3   Music featured in this issue: 1. 2F: Mezzanine by Chad York/Darren Radtke2. 2B: Boilerworks by Chad York/Darren Radtke edited by Ryan ZhaoYou can support Cane and Rinse and in return receive an often extended version of the podcast four weeks early, along with exclusive podcasts, if you subscribe to our Patreon for the minimum of $2 per month (+VAT).  Do you have an opinion about a game we're covering that you'd like read on the podcast? Then venture over to our forum and check out the list of upcoming games we're covering. Whilst there you can join in the conversations with our friendly community in discussing all things relating to videogames, along with lots of other stuff too. Sound good? Then come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum

“We might make a name for ourselves after all…” In a pre-prequel, pre-Disney's Star Wars world, almost any game featuring George Lucas' galaxy-spanning space opera was greeted with fervour. So it was with Star Wars: Rogue Squadron for the N64 and PC in 1998. Leon, Chris Worthington and Jon - along with contributions from you, the listeners - suit up and blast through the entire trilogy, focusing on the original, and GameCube sequels Rogue Leader and Rebel Strike. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_646.mp3   Music featured in this issue: 1. Star Wars Rogue Squadron Main Title by Chris Huelsbeck2. Star Wars Rogue Leader Main Title by Chris Huelsbeck edited by Jay TaylorYou can support Cane and Rinse and in return receive an often extended version of the podcast four weeks early, along with exclusive podcasts, if you subscribe to our Patreon for the minimum of $2 per month (+VAT).  Do you have an opinion about a game we're covering that you'd like read on the podcast? Then venture over to our forum and check out the list of upcoming games we're covering. Whilst there you can join in the conversations with our friendly community in discussing all things relating to videogames, along with lots of other stuff too. Sound good? Then come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum

“EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG” Mark Cerny's first full project as a prodigious teen game creator (after coding a 'mushroom growing algorithm' for Millipede) was Atari's surreal and challenging Marble Madness. Leon, Brian and Chris Worthington run all six courses, albeit over considerably longer than the two odd minutes in which it's possible to beat the game. Along with community contributors, we also take a look at the hit arcade game's many home and handheld conversions, as well as a slew of clones and spiritual successors, from Bobby Bearing to Kororinpa. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_645.mp3   Music featured in this issue: 1. Practice Stage by Brad Fuller/Hal Canon2. Beginner Stage by Brad Fuller/Hal Canon edited by Jay TaylorYou can support Cane and Rinse and in return receive an often extended version of the podcast four weeks early, along with exclusive podcasts, if you subscribe to our Patreon for the minimum of $2 per month (+VAT).  Do you have an opinion about a game we're covering that you'd like read on the podcast? Then venture over to our forum and check out the list of upcoming games we're covering. Whilst there you can join in the conversations with our friendly community in discussing all things relating to videogames, along with lots of other stuff too. Sound good? Then come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum

“The evil hand of BASHTAR has seized the lovely MIHO.” Representing the tiny overlap in the Venn diagram of at least two niche subgenres (prehistoric jungle platformers/games with simian protagonists), Juju Densetsu (or Toki) is also a fairly pedestrian, memory-based platform/shooter. Leon, Chris Worthington, Dan and Toki-lover Michiel muse upon why this one has been condemned to apparent obscurity, despite receiving some acclaim, multiple home conversions and even a 'modern' remake. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_644.mp3   Music featured in this issue: 1. Title by Yukihiko Kitahara/Yusaku Aoki2. Stage Theme 1 by Yukihiko Kitahara/Yusaku Aoki edited by Jay TaylorYou can support Cane and Rinse and in return receive an often extended version of the podcast four weeks early, along with exclusive podcasts, if you subscribe to our Patreon for the minimum of $2 per month (+VAT).  Do you have an opinion about a game we're covering that you'd like read on the podcast? Then venture over to our forum and check out the list of upcoming games we're covering. Whilst there you can join in the conversations with our friendly community in discussing all things relating to videogames, along with lots of other stuff too. Sound good? Then come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum

"..." Installation artist, juggler, balloon artist and first-time game developer William Chyr told himself it would take three months to design a Portal-sized puzzle game. Seven years later, he released a 'counterfactual physics game' that captures the spirit of both M.C. Escher's mind-bending work and the Paris scene in Christopher Nolan's Inception. Thomas, Brian and Chris Worthington chat about the impossible spaces, the minimalist vibes, and puzzle mechanics of this striking game. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_643.mp3   Music featured in this issue: 1. Tetrominos by Martin Kvale/Laryssa Okada2. Allay Nazur by Martin Kvale/Laryssa Okada edited by Jay TaylorYou can support Cane and Rinse and in return receive an often extended version of the podcast four weeks early, along with exclusive podcasts, if you subscribe to our Patreon for the minimum of $2 per month (+VAT).  Do you have an opinion about a game we're covering that you'd like read on the podcast? Then venture over to our forum and check out the list of upcoming games we're covering. Whilst there you can join in the conversations with our friendly community in discussing all things relating to videogames, along with lots of other stuff too. Sound good? Then come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum

“If you make like you’re a DeathMatch hotshot you should be able to bluff your way into the party.” After a tumultuous few years of company takeovers and platform swaps, Rare's Perfect Dark Zero landed as an Xbox 360 console exclusive launch title. Leon, Darren (former Rare), Ryan (Xbox employee) and community contributors pick the prequel apart, 19 years on from its release. Could it live up to the legacy of its N64 forerunner, let alone that game's predecessor GoldenEye 007? Listen in to find out. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_642.mp3   Music featured in this issue: 1. Main Title by David Clynick2. Pearl Necklace by MorissonPoe edited by Jay TaylorYou can support Cane and Rinse and in return receive an often extended version of the podcast four weeks early, along with exclusive podcasts, if you subscribe to our Patreon for the minimum of $2 per month (+VAT).  Do you have an opinion about a game we're covering that you'd like read on the podcast? Then venture over to our forum and check out the list of upcoming games we're covering. Whilst there you can join in the conversations with our friendly community in discussing all things relating to videogames, along with lots of other stuff too. Sound good? Then come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum

“If you love a character, you give them pain, ruin their lives, make them suffer.” Just ahead of the release of the fourth instalment in BioWare's fantasy RPG series, we finally get around to scrutinising the third game in the series - Dragon Age: Inquisition. Leon, Brian, Leah and Tony have quested long, scouring the plains of Thedas to explore the game's systems and characters - intimately. As usual we also have correspondents from the far-flung corners of the wastes, reporting back to the war room with their own findings. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_641.mp3   Music featured in this issue: 1. Main Theme by Trevor Morris2. The Dawn Will Come by Trevor Morris edited by Jay TaylorYou can support Cane and Rinse and in return receive an often extended version of the podcast four weeks early, along with exclusive podcasts, if you subscribe to our Patreon for the minimum of $2 per month (+VAT).  Do you have an opinion about a game we're covering that you'd like read on the podcast? Then venture over to our forum and check out the list of upcoming games we're covering. Whilst there you can join in the conversations with our friendly community in discussing all things relating to videogames, along with lots of other stuff too. Sound good? Then come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum

"Throw me back." What better way to spend time in the ocean than to fish while trying not to succumb to ancient malices from the deep? For this is apparently what is on offer with 2023's indie darling, Dredge. Chris O'Regan with James and Brian - along with contributions from the Cane and Rinse listenership – tell tall tales of fishes larger than a house they 'allegedly' caught, while fighting off stress induced fatigue in this boat-bound action adventure. One can only wonder what is hauled up from the sea bed in this issue of Cane and Rinse... http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_640.mp3   Music featured in this issue: 1. Main Theme by David Mason2. The Left Behind by David Mason edited by Jay TaylorYou can support Cane and Rinse and in return receive an often extended version of the podcast four weeks early, along with exclusive podcasts, if you subscribe to our Patreon for the minimum of $2 per month (+VAT).  Do you have an opinion about a game we're covering that you'd like read on the podcast? Then venture over to our forum and check out the list of upcoming games we're covering. Whilst there you can join in the conversations with our friendly community in discussing all things relating to videogames, along with lots of other stuff too. Sound good? Then come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum