Tales from the Backlog - Episodes Tagged with “Immersive Sim”

206: Bioshock (with Joseph Hooper - Crossplay Conversations)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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Bioshock is a title that carries weight, nearly 20 years after its 2007 release by 2K Boston and 2K Australia, and it feels like one that every gaming podcast eventually talks about. And hey, it's our turn this time- Bioshock has long been a favorite of mine that I've revisited through the years. But when put under the Tales from the Backlog microscope, does it hold up under pressure or does it spring a leak? Listen in to find out.

Guest info: Joseph Hooper (he/him)

Check out Crossplay Conversations https://www.youtube.com/@crossplayconvos
Check out Can't Pause on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@cantpause
Check out Player Player https://playerplayerpod.com/

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Title Card
0:26 Introductions
5:25 Our Histories with Bioshock
9:20 Top-Level Thoughts
14:25 Story Setup
21:30 Learning Backstory Via Audio Logs
26:40 Rapture and Ideology
35:18 Big Daddies, Little Sisters and Moral Choices
44:24 Combat Mechanics
54:00 Some Immersive Sim DNA
1:03:29 Combat Balance & Difficulty
1:13:26 Visual Design and Music/Sound
1:22:27 Who Do We Recommend Bioshock To?
1:24:38 Joseph's Podcasts and YouTube Channel
1:28:26 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:30:13 Spoilers- Would You Kindly? and Fontaine
1:44:48 Spoilers- Rapture's Downfall
2:01:37 Spoilers- Other Major Players
2:14:00 Spoilers- Big Daddy and Endings

Music used in the episode is credited to Garry Schyman unless otherwise noted. Tracks used: Under the Sea (Bobby Darin), Welcome to Rapture, Mr. Bubbles - Little Sister, Dancers on a String (Reprise), Through the Docks, Cohen's Masterpiece, Leaving Rapture

Gameplay footage used with permission from World of Longplays on YouTube, gameplay by Spazbo4. www.longplays.org

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

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52: Prey: Mooncrash (with Adam & Kiaran - The Good, the Bad & the Backlog)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Prey (2017) is one of those widely acclaimed games that not many people seem to have played. Take that same idea, but take that up another level and you've got Prey: Mooncrash, the 2018 roguelike DLC for the aformentioned Prey, by Arkane Studios. Prey: Mooncrash got some increased buzz not when it released, but when Deathloop released and comparisons were drawn. And the verdict is in- for many people, myself included, Prey: Mooncrash is what Deathloop should have been. I was lucky enough to be joined by Adam and Kiaran from The Good, the Bad & the Backlog to discuss it! Pardon my voice in this one, I was beginning to come down with Covid! Fun!

Check out everything that Adam and Kiaran are doing by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:30
Story/Gameplay Setup 22:17

SPOILER WALL 1:14:53

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Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages

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51: Prey (2017) (with Nick & Will - Friday Night Gamecast)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Prey (2017) takes the immersive sim worldbuilding, level design and freedom of expression that Arkane Studios had been honing through the years, transfers it to a sci-fi space station full of shapeshifting aliens, and sets you loose to figure out what the hell is going on. The result is....peak video game, as far as this host is concerned. And to help break it all down, I've enlisted the help of both hosts of Friday Night Gamecast, Nick and Will. This was a wonderful conversation, and we hope you enjoy it!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:35
Story Setup 24:00
Immersive Sim Gameplay 44:10
Combat 1:07:20
SPOILER WALL 1:36:22

Check out Friday Night Gamecast wherever you listen to podcasts, or by going through this link!

[Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon!](patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
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Social Media:
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Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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39: Deathloop (with Morgan Remington - Intergalactic Pinecone)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0400

After years of making critically acclaimed games in a genre that doesn't historically sell, Arkane Studios jumped on the roguelike time loop trend with their flashy, stylish Deathloop. It should have been a home run, right? The marriage of Arkane Studios' best-in-class level design and aesthetics with a game concept that would require players to use their tools creatively, lest they need to start over from square one. But was it the harmonious marriage we were waiting for? In this episode, Dave was joined by Morgan Remington, captain of the Intergalactic Pinecone, to discuss.

TIMESTAMPS:
Intros and Personal Histories
Visuals and Sound Design 11:16
Roguelite Design and Gameplay 35:10
Spoiler Wall 1:14:00

Check out Morgan and all things Intergalactic Pinecone on Twitch, on YouTube, on Twitter, and on Instagram.

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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15: Hitman 2 (with Scott Danielson)

Dave Jackson — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Dave is joined by Scott Danielson for part 2 of their own personal Hitman World of Long Podcasts Trilogy. Did you enjoy Hitman (2016)? You'll probably enjoy this game. Did you enjoy our episode about Hitman 1? Don't answer that, but you'll enjoy this episode as we dive deep into what makes this game, and this series, so good.

TIMESTAMPS: Intro 0:00, Hitman 2 14:50, Spoiler Section 1:45:43

Hitman Speedrun Explained- Tomatoanus

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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3: Hitman (2016) (with Scott Danielson)

Dave Jackson — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Dave is joined by Helmut Kruger enthusiast Scott Danielson to discuss the 2016 reboot of the Hitman series. This is the first game in the truly wonderful World of Assassination Trilogy. Join us as we go in detail about what makes this game work, and our favorite memories of each level in the spoiler section.

TIMESTAMPS: (Intro 0:00, Hitman 11:30, Spoiler Section 1:17:44)

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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