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Podcast episode 112: the excuse to talk about Baldur's Gate 3 special

Roll for perception


Alice Bee is back from holiday in time for a massive CRPG to enter early access, so this episode is supposedly about our favourite companions in games, but is really mostly about Baldur's Gate 3, Larian's massive new Dungeons & Dragons-themed, reawakening-a-classic fantasy game. She and Matthew have both played a bit of it (Matthew a lot more than her), but we have a chinwag about it and the characters in it nonetheless.

We do also get to chatting about our actual favourite companions from other games, though. There are mentions for some old reliables that I bet some of you already knew were going to come up, as well as some surprise entries from new up and comers. We like to keep things fresh here at the Electronic Wireless Show. Just don't hit your head on all the digressions, or in this week's Cavern Of Lies, which is a lil' D&D treat.

A screenshot of Mordin the scientist alien lizard from the Mass Effect series

You can listen above, or on on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, or Pocket Casts. You can find the RSS feed here, and you can discuss the episode on our Discord channel, which has a dedicated room for podcast chat.

Music is by Jack de Quidt.

Music is by Jack de Quidt, a 10/10 companion.

Please buy our merch, my family is dying.

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Nate gave a shout out to HK47 from Knights Of The Old Republic, obviously. KOTOR is one of our best RPGs and best ever PC games of all time. There was a fan remake in the works before it got shitcanned by lawyers, but earlier this year there were rumours that EA are going to dip their toes back in the KOTOR water. I'm suspicious of that, though, since KOTOR is technically part of the Star Wars universe that no longer exists after the Disney retcon.

Nate also talked a bit about the characters in spaceship battle blockbuster Star Wars: Squadrons, which he recently reviewed. In particular, he hates Fisk the abominable lizard, but in a good way.

We couldn't get out of a discussion on companions without talking about Mass Effect, in particular Mass Effect 2, and in most particular Garrus, the best boy in the universe. But we mention a lot of others, too. Matthew is disappointed with Thane's plotline in ME3, but we can't have everything. Mass Effect 2 is on our best RPGs list, but also our best space games, and best games of the 2010s. Mordin is on Brendy's worst scientists list. Booooooo.

Matthew brought up Kitsuragi from Disco Elysium, who is a very nice man. I reviewed Disco Elysium; do not @me about it, I am very defensive. Jesus. We have a lot of writing on it by other people that views it through different lenses. In particular, I recommend Nic Reuben on how its hardcore mode can be a meaningful representation of poverty, and Alec Meer (RPS in peace) on how it is a reflection of his own mid-life crisis.

Nate also got in a late shout out to King Shit Lizard the Red Prince from Divinity: Original Sin 2.

My impression of the Chamberlain from The Dark Crystal is very accurate.

Recommendations this week: Nate recommends (for RPS fish tank constructors) that you should be stocking up on Perspex sheets and silicon sealant; Matthew recommends ex-RPSer Brendy's new podcast Hey Lesson! where he discusses a game with a guest and then gets an actual expert to explain if any of it is accurate (e.g. could a pug survive in a cave, as in Spelunky 2); Alice recommends the new album The Hollow Of Humdrum by Red Rum Club, and the book Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.

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