Advertise on podcast: Sacred Icon: A Halo Podcast

All good things must come to an end. We began this journey in 2019 with a deep passion for Halo. The success and love of everyone who listened, contributed and supported us took us further than we ever could have imagined. There's been highs and lows, but when it comes to this endeavor as a whole that is Sacred Icon, it's one big high. We love you all and hope this one and final JUICY episode serves the podcast and its legacy well. Keep it Sacred, friends.

Spoilers for both the original and the remake of Silent Hill 2 abound. What makes this particular franchise stand out in a way its horror peers cannot? It's only fitting we dive into the psyche of game that excels in doing just that itself.

It's been almost five full years since the PlayStation 5 hit the market. There has been highs and lows, but for all the success it's seen you wouldn't know it. Today, we're reflecting on why it's not quite the killer console the PS4 was, but also how its far from a disappointment. Lock in your second party deals and greenlight your next dozen live-service games because here we GO!

Do you ever reflect on the fact that there are so many amazing video games that no matter who you are you're destined to at some point be way late to the party on something massively special and/or influential? I may have been there for Ocarina of Time, Halo 2 or Skyrim, but the Metal Gear series manage to slip by me for over 30 years. Spoilers for Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty within!

Have you ever fully believed in something to the point where you would have confidently put money on the line that you wouldn't be wrong? That was me with Helldivers II coming to Xbox, a move I never saw coming...especially published by PlayStation directly. Nonetheless, it's here and it's a good thing for gamers everywhere. Is the way of the exclusive game going by the wayside?

There are two ways to look at anything in life. Through the lens of objectivity or caught up in your deepest of emotions. Those who can keep them separate are few and far between, but we will do our best. Perfect Dark and Everwild have been canceled, The Initiative is closed, staff across many teams have been laid off substantially and the confidence in job security is lower than it ever has been. The question of "Is Xbox Dead?" really isn't the one we should be asking, especially when it's owned by a trillion-dollar company. The real question is, when did the Xbox we thought we knew die?

We are just days away from the hotly anticipated sequel to Death Stranding, so we figured it was time to cover our thoughts on the first game in depth. If you've never played it or feel it doesn't interest you, we really hope you'll give this a listen. There's a lot more to Death Stranding than meets the eye and the passion for this title is on full display from beginning to end. Maybe we shouldn't have connected. Spoilers abound!

We're finally coming back down to earth from the whirlwind week that was Summer Games Fest. There's a lot of news bursting from the seams we didn't have a week ago. Silent Hill Remake by Bloober Team is coming, Metal Gear Solid Delta will have online multiplayer and the next generation Xbox in practice may have already been revealed to us. There's been a leak that suggests a Halo title is coming to other platforms soon...could it be Halo: Reach? It wouldn't be the first time.

In what is perhaps one of the biggest weeks for video games in recent memory there is most certainly something for everyone. With everything from the launch of a new Nintendo console to the next mainline Resident Evil we'd have to revoke your gamer card to say there isn't. The Witcher 4, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, Silksong, Clockwork Revolution...I know where it starts but tell me, where does it end?

Take a look, it's in a BOOK, a Reading Rainbow! That's right, we finally get to see what Chief and the gang are up to four years later in a new novel. What even is the current direction for the future of Halo? We know that it's in Unreal Engine 5 and a new studio name, but do we really know much beyond that? Summer Games Fest and Microsoft's Xbox showcase are right around the corner, as well as the release of the Switch 2! There's a lot happening, so let's discuss.

Bungie was once my favorite developer of all time, but that time was half my life ago. They're a company who's always claimed to know what's best no matter the situation and after a decade of ups and downs with Destiny the company has finally hit their own personal rock bottom. Their latest game, Marathon needs to reach a massive audience. The reaction thus far has been lukewarm at best, painting an already bleak picture. Now, they've admitted to stealing artwork. We've already seen floundering profits, huge layoffs and frustration from both fans and Sony. Is this Bungie's end?

Here to share with me his personal journey through gaming is none other than the Mustard Chief himself. We talk everything from early Nintendo days all the way to Halo.

Joining us on this episode is Photon, here to tell us about his own personal Great Journey with a series we love so dear.

(SPOILER FREE) We've been hands on with id Software's latest entry in the DOOM series for a few days now and we're excited to tell you if it lives up to the lofty expectations set by the previous games. Going back many years before the events of DOOM (2016), The Dark Ages sees us in the middle of a medieval war armed with a fur pelt and chainsaw shield. A lot has changed, but is it for the better?

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remaster. $80 games. $600 Xbox's. Gears of War on PlayStation. My brother Crayton is here to discuss it all with me during a wonderful Mother's Day afternoon. Enjoy.