The Best Soulslikes & The Death Of Physical Games | Between Levels Podcast Ep. 3

Join WheelieAverage, Sarthe, and FightinCowboy as they dive into Soulslike games, the future of physical media, digital-only gaming, horror game tropes, PC gaming, and the changing shape of the industry.
In this episode, we discuss what actually makes a game a Soulslike, our favorite Soulslike experiences, Elden Ring, co-op and invasion mechanics, build crafting, modding, PlayStation's reported move away from physical game production, digital ownership, game pricing, PC gaming versus consoles, horror game design, The Dark Pictures Anthology, Fantasy Critic updates, and much more.
Between Levels is a weekly gaming podcast bringing together three different perspectives from across the gaming community to discuss the latest news, releases, and trends shaping the industry.
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and host banter
03:24 Best Soulslike games and FromSoftware alternatives
07:38 What actually makes a game a Soulslike?
08:55 Multiplayer, co-op, and invasions in Souls games
11:21 Elden Ring and co-op experiences
13:45 Lords of the Fallen and modern co-op systems
16:04 Modding in FromSoftware games
18:22 Sarthe's favorite non-World of Warcraft game
20:07 Build crafting, lore, and Soulslike depth
22:13 Breaking game mechanics for fun
23:43 Game difficulty and player attitudes
25:33 Sleep schedules, ADHD, and gaming habits
32:35 PlayStation, physical games, and digital-only trends
36:41 Digital ownership and game pricing
40:16 Piracy, preservation, and the value of physical media
44:17 Esports and competitive gaming
50:06 All-digital consoles and the future of hardware
55:12 PC gaming, nostalgia, and hardware choices
1:02:30 How quickly can you tell if a game is for you?
1:09:45 Horror game tropes and genre evolution
1:15:30 The Dark Pictures Anthology discussion
1:20:02 Fantasy Critic updates and bid strategies
1:24:25 Channel updates and subscriber milestones
1:25:44 Upcoming episodes and future topics
1:26:40 Closing thoughts
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