Into the Aether - A Low Key Video Game Podcast

*HEROBRINE WAS HER(OBRIN)E*

Games Discussed: Minecraft (in 2019!!)

---

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intothecast

Watch us on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/intothecast

---

Produced by AJ Fillari

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Games Discussed: Final Fantasy VII (Nintendo Switch), Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

---

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intothecast

Watch us on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/intothecast

---

Produced by AJ Fillari

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The moonlight casts vines of a pale white downwards through low hanging clouds of the night sky. Reeds sway eastward with the wind. In a nearby structure, bystanders peer through gaps in shutters at the two figures standing on opposite ends of the plateau. All is silent, save for a slight babbling stream nearby. The two figures used to play there, together, as children. Back then, war was just a story told by grandfathers, a warning to future generations to avoid passing to the realm of their ancestors carrying with them the weight of the same regrets.

The two figures are cold and tempered. They wait for one slight twitch before springing into action, eyeing one another in anticipation for their inevitable clash. Only one will survive, and the winner is obvious to all who stand idly by:

The one-armed wolf is here, and he's slathered in barbecue sauce. 

---

Games Discussed: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intothecast

Watch us on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/intothecast

---

Produced by AJ Fillari

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Ganon's done a lot of harm in this world. He's ripped families apart, decimated the homes of the Hylian people, eradicated those who stood for peace and hope and prosperity. Zelda has been in a calamitous and ongoing battle against him for a century, and I mean that quite literally. I'm doing everything I can on my own to build up the strength to help, but first I need to go out in the desert and flex a bit in my boxers. It's warmer today, alright?

Games Discussed: Baba Is You, Destiny 2, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

He's back for one last 900.

Games Discussed: Ape Out, The Division 2, Xbox Game Pass

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

I arrive on the playground every day carrying my tomes of Prima Strategy Guides and printouts from GameFaqs. I sit atop the slide like a mad king as peasants bring their GameBoy Colors and crowd around the rungs, eager to climb up and allow me to bless them with my wisdom. I tell them "Nay, you must climb the slide to speak to me. The ladder's rungs are for I alone to climb." They only make it halfway up before the slide takes hold of them; and like a bowling ball they careen down into the masses of other third graders hoping to glimpse into my stack of parchment. I often whisper rumors, like deleting your save file will allow you to capture Mew, like speaking to the phone one million times will bring Ness' father back. They listen to me, because I am the keeper of knowledge, and nobody else has enough room in their backpack to challenge me.

---

Games Discussed: Apex Legends, Pokemon Sword & Shield, Final Fantasy IX

---

Things Discussed: Stephen thought Crash Bandicoot was real, Third Grade, possible Apex Legends characters, every Pokemon starter, what Pokemon could we feel okay about eating, Pokemon Sword & Shield, Gex, Crash Bandicoot Returns), Fangamer dot com is not a pyramid scheme, Final Fantasy IX, cheat codes are okay, card games

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Game Discussed: Final Fantasy IX (Switch Release)

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

It is 198X and Mountain Dew drips from every surface, clinging like a parasite to its host. It is a green haze that looms wide over this city, and citizens cover their mouths with masks to filter the Dew from the clean air trapped underneath its disgusting weight. This is the future Caustic always dreamed of, growing up. It is what he has been working towards. This is his twisted utopia, his 80s Synth Hell.

Games Discussed: Apex Legends, February 2019 Nintendo Direct

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Have you ever felt like you weren't yourself? You look in the mirror and the passage of time has presented you with a face that feels like an Other? Maybe it's what's inside that's different. Maybe the things you've experienced have changed you. Maybe you've become 300 crabs inhabiting the corporeal form of Captain Jack Sparrow. It happens to everyone, eventually. Games Discussed: Apex Legends, Anthem (Beta), Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Stephen & Brendon,

Sorry to rush off without sayin' goodbye, but there's big trouble brewin'. Not sure why, but the stars have been blinkin' out, one by one. And that means disaster can't be far behind. I hate to leave you all but I've gotta go check into it. There's someone with a "key"—the key to our survival. So I need you and Goofy to find him, and stick with him. Got it? We need that key or we're doomed! So go to Traverse Town and find Leon. He'll point you in the right direction.

P.S. Would ya apologize to Minnie for me?

Thanks, pals.

Gamed Discussed: Kingdom Hearts 3, Wargroove, Downwell, Steep

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Games Discussed: Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts 2, Kingdom Hearts 3, other Kingdoms's Hearts''s'

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

After calamity struck the citizens of Xanthia found themselves frozen in time, statues of flesh and blood strewn about the citadel and the marketplace and the homes and the stables. Outside the walls of the Great City, denizens of the countryside found their lives mostly unchanged, save for a harsh and ominous wind that brought with it the same recurring nightmares. Each morning the farmers would gather in their halls and confirm amongst themselves that yes, they’d all shared the same horrid dream: A dark force, twelve ancient crystals, and a power unholy to wrest them from their plot within Xanthia’s royal vaults. 

Most resigned to their fate whole-cloth, prepared themselves and their homes for the incoming havoc. But one brave soul stood apart from the rest, one timeless adventurer rejected the nightmares of the wind and decided to take up arms against the spectral dark. Yep that’s right gang, it’s Dragon Quest XI, and this time QBert is in it.

Games Discussed: Dragon Age XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, Steep, Nier Automata

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Games Discussed: Pyre, Meditations, Return of the Obra Dinn

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Glydon Gould Vanderbilt (May 26, 1794 - November 3, 1889) was a titan of the industrial age, paving the way for the implementation of a rail system that could connect all of the various kingdoms together. This was, of course, one of the first known monopolies of the Mushroom Kingdom. 

Glydon, though seemingly impervious to government intervention, found his empire crumble around him as the railroads he’d spent his life building were split into various privately owned corporations. 

Games Discussed: Super Mario Odyssey, Pokemon Let's Go, Super Smash Bros Ultimate Spirit Board

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Stephen and Brendon close out the year having convened in a New Jersey living room for an extra-long Game of the Year spectacular. Each presents their top ten games of the year before fusing the two lists via unholy alchemy into The One True Official "Into the Aether" Top Five Games of 2018.

A big thanks to all those who have listened to and supported the show so far. It's been a wonderful six months. <3

Podcast art for this episode provided by Stephen Hilger.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

‪Lofi Hip Hop Mix - Chill Beats To Study / Relax To: The Game (2018) NOT CLICKBAIT | Vine Compilation | Vines I Want Playing On The Projector At My Wake | Funny Vines | PRANKED‬ Games Discussed: Florence, Gris, God of War ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Games Discussed: Blinx the Time Sweeper ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Yeah man, my new robot is rad. Its name is Wuumo and it spends all day making vaporwave art for Instagram. I was wondering why I'd want a robot that makes art, but then I realized if I let it grow a social media account to have some kind of huge following, I can start to make brand deals with like Fiji Water and stuff. Wuumo is gonna pay for itself with this vaporwave stuff. Wait, what do you mean vaporwave is over? Games Discussed: Destiny 2, Pokemon Let's Go Eevee, Pokemon Ultra Sun, Horizon Zero Dawn, Neir: Automata, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Neon Joycons ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Howdy. Games Discussed: Red Dead Redemption 2, Nier Automata ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Jens Kreuger bought the house near Pallet town in the autumn of his 28th year. Over the next decade, he and his wife had a litter of pups and then they separated. They were never legally divorced, because they were Pokemon. Games Discussed: Pokemon Let's Go Eevee / Pikachu, Pokemon Ultra Sun / Moon ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In terms of your personal life, you need time alone today, dear Glover. The Hermit and the Hanged Man between them create a heavy atmosphere, but you could turn it to your advantage if you’re prepared to put yourself under scrutiny. You can’t escape the looking-glass: you might not like the reflection you see, but you need to take a good look in order to understand the faults you must correct and so improve your relationships with the people you love... In your work environment, you should be prepared for an event that’s outside your sphere of influence that might delay a project or jeopardize the go-ahead from above. The combination of the Sun and the Hermit indicates that your desires and reality are somewhat divergent today. The promotion you may have been expecting is not now on the cards, the contract that you were going to sign has evaporated into thin air… All this may be frustrating, but there is no reason to lose faith. Just be patient. Things can only get better! (The above is Glover's reading from horoscope.com.) Discussed: Deltarune, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Spider-Man: The Heist, Red Dead Redemption 2 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with Toad seated on the throne. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

I prefer the stillness here, underground. I am tired of the town. These citizens. I'm tired of being caught in the tangle of their lives. They claim their labors are to build extra rooms in their homes, yet their homes are filled with horrors. Perhaps "home" is not built. Perhaps nothing is built. It's too late to reset. Games discussed: SoulCalibur 6, Destiny 2's Festival of the Lost, Dark Souls Remastered ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Long long ago, a great many people called home a beautiful land of rolling hills and glorious sunrises. For generations they found only contentment, with food and wealth aplenty so long as they kept hidden a great power. One day, a man born of sunsets broke his sacred oath and sought the power for himself. He travelled the wilds throughout his unholy quest, and those who met him assumed nothing of his dark secret as it slowly destroyed his mind. Meanwhile, a great and timeless battle raged on across the land. A man clad in green, a wise woman of gold, and a beast comprised of arcane darkness clashed endlessly, laying waste and restoring peace as often as the universe itself spun through the cosmos. Even then, long long ago, legend foretold of their coming, and of their struggle to wield an unimaginable power between them. Three great beings, each the personification of an equally great strength. But little did they know of the man born of sunset, and of his despicable quest. Courage, wisdom, and power had been contested through the ages, but even the gods themselves could not have foreseen the coming of the fourth great totem: sick bargains. Discussed: Oxenfree, The Legend of Zelda, Assassin's Creed Odyssey ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week have a good week ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

It wills itself unto you, and you unto another unfortunate soul. Just Bring It follows you, until you follow another unsuspecting participant. You smell what The Rock is cooking, but one day, so will they.

twitter.com/intothecast ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

He's been gone for what seems like a lifetime. You notice it in the fleeting moments, when you hear a joke you think he'd have liked, when you see a great deal on a new vacuum. We'd devoted an entire year to his very existence, celebrating his every breath and parading his visage around to all who'd gaze upon it. Even so, the world crumbled beneath our feet. The economy turned sour, and our year of jubilation ended with a whimper. And so, feeling responsible for the collapsing of society as we'd once known it, he fled. We now find ourselves in a new age, one in which we take stock of who and what we hold closest, and eschew the excess luxuries that had once brought us such misguided comfort. If the Year of Luigi ended like one final drawn-out note echoing through the cathedral walls during a funeral procession, then maybe this new age, this Dearth of Luigi, could be our slow salvation. In his absence, we find comfort. In his absence, we can rebuild. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Do you like inking other people? ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The new generation is here, and what approaches is the decision that defines every Pokémon trainer--which version will you buy? Gone are chromatic palettes, precious stones, life and death --- the ultimate duality, champ-in-making, is right in your closet. Denim Version. Or Khaki Version. Basically... do you want to start with Tangela or Bidoof? ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Have you ever felt lonely? Lost and wandering an abyss of your own creation? Like life is a confusing mess of asphalt, a highway that stretches on to infinity and everyone but you knows the path to victory? Hi, my name is Lakitu, and if you call now I'll give you 50% off my new self-help system: "Lakitu, Bring Us Home with Lakitu." ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Not really, though. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The year is 2025 and we all knew this was coming. Hundreds sit patiently at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Park City, Utah as they murmer to one another, bracing themselves and those around them for the upcoming spectacle. Rumors circulate about the cost of the film, and you hear something about a production budget that ballooned to upwards of $400 million. An executive from Epic Games strides by and you catch a glimpse of his gold-plated iPhone as he takes a photo of the crowd before finding a seat. Finally, after years of waiting, the lights dim and the crowd silences themselves like a classroom of first graders being scolded by the principal. The words we've waited so long for appear on screen: Terrence Malick proudly presents... Fortnite. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Travel far enough and you'll see them, the echoes of long lost explorers who sailed across the stars searching hopelessly for meaning. And it's that same unsettlingly ambiguous quest that you find yourself in the throes of now. It decided to bring you here, again. This sparse landscape of freezing tundra lays bare before you, taunting you. How many times will you return to this frigid rock? What else is there to see, to do, to discover? An infinite universe and enough hyperfuel to see it all, and yet you're here, again. Sitting in the cockpit of your ship you pull up the charter and find that this planet remains unnamed. Although you've been here now countless times, no other explorer has stood upon its soil. Before uploading it to the Korvax star charts, you decide to plant a flag, to give it a name of its own. You type "Poopbutt Prime" into the system and send it off to the galactic research hub. You feel better, and initiate the launch thrusters to put Poopbutt Prime behind you. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

"It's my time to shine," you tell yourself. Four foes stand before you, each one a grotesque homunculus of flesh and, well, something else. The allies you've made along the way have fought valiantly at your side, raining ice from the heavens or concocting new modern miracles to liven spirits. With this in mind, you approach the battlefield, and begin to dance. Suddenly a dense fog envelops your compatriots, and visibility is too low to fight without wildly stabbing into the mist. You pray to the gods and dance again, and the gods respond by sending a freakish mushroom man who heals your foes. You will not back down. Destiny has sent you to the battlefield to dance, and you will fulfill the duty sent from on high. You dance a dance so splendid, neither friend nor foe can believe their eyes. In your bones, a feeling surfaces: The knowledge and experience gained from this battle will increase one hundred fold, and your bewildering grace returns to the party lines. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The year is 20XX and Kelsey Grammer opens his eyes for what feels like the first time in decades. He looks to his left and sees only a vast emptiness; to his right, the same. He calls for help, but only his voice echoes out across the expanse. The air is perfectly still. "I was Frasier once," he thinks to himself. How could he have met such a bizarre fate?

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

You're ready. You're wearing the official Marcus Fenix bandanna. You made sure the sleeves of your red Gears of War licensed t-shirt are rolled up so the world can see the tattoo your friends described as "definitely of Cliffy B." You paid $250 for tickets to E3, another $500 for plane tickets from Detroit, and another $300 per night for the hotel within walking distance of the expo hall. You sat through the first forty minutes of this Microsoft presentation knowing that in time, you will be rewarded. And suddenly the heavens open as Phil Spencer points behind him. It's the Gears of War logo. Your time has come. The tears begin to form in your eyes and you clench the armrests when suddenly, what bursts through the brick wall? It can't be. Not like this. Yes. Like this. Prepare for your Funko Pop future. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this special (and technically first) episode of ITA, Stephen and Brendon discuss each press conference from E3 2018.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★