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DomsRoundtable joins us this week as Ben shares his latest obsession, Planet Zoo 2, which has been keeping him up until the early hours. But with the game receiving a mixed reception, is the criticism justified? We discuss what's changed from the original, why some players are frustrated and what makes it so difficult to put down. Ed's also been playing Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, and we get into Star Wars Galactic Racer, the best games of 2026, Steam Next Fest and whether GTA 6 is worth buying on day one. Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open 00:29 Intro & DomsRoundtable 02:45 Star Wars Galactic Racer 07:44 Steam Next Fest 13:00 My Arms Are Longer Now 15:17 Jackbox Party Pack 12 21:14 The Blood of Dawnwalker & Onimusha 23:50 Best Games of 2026 29:43 Planet Zoo 2 53:52 Castlevania: Belmont's Curse 01:06:36 GTA 6 & Upcoming Games 01:11:35 Buying Games at Launch Planet Zoo 2 review copy kindly provided by Frontier. ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com  ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus  ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social  ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus  ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus  ▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights  ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social  ▼ DomsRoundtable ▼ ● YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DomsRoundtable

This week, we're both playing Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, but is it too easy, and does it take far too long to get going? Ben's finally finished The Blood of Dawnwalker and gives his verdict after 45 YouTube episodes, while Ed's looking forward to Phantom Blade Zero. We also chat about Dragon's Dogma, the frustrations of PC gaming, the return of Ben's Minecraft server and whether the Rides and Relics DLC for Two Point Museum is secretly a test run for a theme park game. Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open 00:29 Intro 09:03 Gears of War and PC gaming 12:27 Dragon's Dogma 19:55 Upcoming games and Phantom Blade Zero 20:46 Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave 31:45 The Blood of Dawnwalker 49:22 Minecraft 52:16 Two Point Museum: Rides and Relics DLC 01:02:53 Minecraft Dungeons 2   ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com  ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus  ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social  ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus  ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus ▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights  ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

We've both been playing Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and it seems that mixing Star Wars, Burnout and a roguelite is very much our thing. Ed has also finished Control Resonant and has plenty to say about what worked and what really didn't, we've tried the Castlevania: Belmont's Curse demo, and we ask how many hours a game needs to give us to feel worth the money. Plus, Ed went to a Sonic concert and Ben's music taste gets a thorough inspection. 00:00 Intro and Ben's music taste 09:18 Ed's Sonic concert 16:55 Star Wars: Galactic Racer 37:07 Our Game of the Year contenders 45:21 Castlevania: Belmont's Curse 50:25 Control Resonant (includes spoilers) 1:06:36 How long should games be? 1:26:29 Outro ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Twitch: http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus ● Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.com

This week, Ed's been playing Control Resonant and has a few things to say about it, while Ben's very excited about the Destiny 2 news. We also went to Xbox FanFest (and missed out on playing Fable), Ed's seen the new Resident Evil film, and we look ahead to the games coming out in October. Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open 00:25 Intro 00:45 Xbox FanFest and Fable 18:44 Resident Evil 29:26 Control Resonant 53:35 Fire Emblem 57:00 Destiny 2 01:11:00 Our favourite and least favourite gaming trends 01:26:41 October's biggest game releases 01:35:00 Outro ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com  ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus  ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social  ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus  ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus  ▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights  ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

This week, Ed’s almost finished Wolverine and has some strong thoughts on whether it actually lives up to the hype, while Ben can’t stop playing Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave and has jumped into World of Warcraft Forever. We also get into the never-ending discourse around game reviews and critics, and look back at some of the best - and worst - video games based on films and TV shows. Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open 00:28 Intro 07:35 Wolverine 20:32 Game reviews and critics 28:44 Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave 39:15 World of Warcraft Forever 55:50 Ed’s name is in a game! 57:06 The best and worst movie & TV games 01:08:00 What we’re playing next 01:10:41 Outro #Wolverine #FireEmblem #WorldOfWarcraft #GamingPodcast ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus ▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

This week, Ed’s finished Onimusha: Way of the Sword after spending far too long fighting its final boss, while Ben’s still loving The Blood of Dawnwalker and experimenting with its day and night quests. We also chat Blizzard’s latest announcements, Nintendo’s latest Direct and why Ed really isn’t happy with the Ocarina of Time remake. Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open 00:28 Intro 22:02 Onimusha: Way of the Sword 32:37 The Final Boss From Hell 44:12 The Blood of Dawnwalker 58:51 Blizzard announcements 01:18:32 Nintendo Direct 01:27:58 The Legend of Zelda Direct 01:29:04 Ocarina of Time remake Find all previous episodes of Swapping Joysticks at https://swappingjoysticks.com

This week, Ed’s been loving Onimusha: Way of the Sword, while Ben's been getting stuck into The Blood of Dawnwalker and discovering that becoming a vampire does terrible things to his usual moral compass. We also chat Star Wars Zero Company, Final Fantasy Resonance, Exodus, PlayStation’s latest State of Play and somehow end up arguing about the N64 controller. Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open 00:28 Intro 01:04 What we've been up to 16:01 Onimusha: Way of the Sword 26:10 Star Wars Zero Company 34:12 PlayStation State of Play 38:38 Final Fantasy Resonance 46:44 The Blood of Dawnwalker 57:33 Exodus 01:11:08 The worst controller ever?   ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus ▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

We’re back from Gamescom 2026! After a week in Cologne, we’re talking through the best games we played and saw at the show, including Fable, The Blood of Dawnwalker, The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, Castlevania and Gears of War. We also go through the biggest announcements from Gamescom Opening Night Live, before getting into GTA VI and whether Rockstar’s latest showing has made us any more excited for what is probably going to be the biggest game ever. Plus, we look ahead to a ridiculously busy September, pick out the games worth keeping an eye on and share some of our favourite stories from Gamescom. And somewhere along the way, Ed squirts a pickle. Timestamps 00:00 - Cold Open 00:28 - Intro 01:04 - We’re back from Gamescom! 23:34 - The games we played at Gamescom 25:08 - Fable 30:02 - The Witcher 3 36:04 - The Blood of Dawnwalker 01:01:15 - Gamescom Opening Night Live 01:37:50 - GTA VI 01:41:10 - September’s biggest games ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes: swappingjoysticks.com ● Instagram: @swappingjoystickspod ▼ Ben’s links ▼ ● Twitch: twitch.tv/biggusbennus ● Bluesky: @biggusbennus.bsky.social ● Instagram: @biggusbennus ● Discord: Join the Discord ▼ Ed’s links ▼ ● Twitch: twitch.tv/ed_nights ● Bluesky: @ednights.bsky.social #Gamescom2026 #Fable #GTA6 #TheBloodOfDawnwalker #TheWitcher3 #GamingPodcast

The Duskbloods finally had its network test - and Ed has spent the weekend finding out exactly what FromSoftware's strange new Switch 2 exclusive actually is. Part Bloodborne, part Nightreign, part PvP game... and somehow part Mario Party. Ed breaks down how The Duskbloods works, why its combat and performance left him disappointed. Ben has started Kingdom Hearts for the first time, fallen even more in love with Splatoon Raiders, and Ed has some controversial thoughts about both Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy XIII-2. Plus, we answer your question of the week about the games you deliberately stopped playing and look ahead to Gamescom Opening Night Live, including The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Tides of Annihilation, Warlock, Fable and more. And, most importantly, we investigate whether a vampire chicken can actually suck blood. Timestamps 00:00 Vampire chickens?! 00:20 Intro 04:12 Gamescom plans 14:46 What we've been playing 20:57 The Duskbloods impressions 49:17 Question of the Week 53:50 Why Ed quit Silksong 55:09 Final Fantasy XIII-2 is atrocious 01:03:37 Gamescom 2026 preview 01:20:32 Outro ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus  ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social  ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus  ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus  ▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights  ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

This week Ben's been hands-on with Star Wars Galactic Racer, the new high-speed racer from Fuse Games and Secret Mode. We chat about its Burnout DNA, roguelike structure, spectacular crashes and whether Star Wars and arcade racing might be a perfect combination. We also look to the future of Final Fantasy and ask what we actually want from Final Fantasy XVII. Fantasy or sci-fi? Turn-based or action? Open world or linear? And does anyone actually know what a Final Fantasy game is supposed to be anymore? Also, we chat about the games we'd love to see remade - and the ones that should absolutely be left alone - old Star Wars games, fast travel, and plenty more. Plus, somehow we end up talking about bread for far longer than anyone intended. Timestamps 00:00 Cold Open 00:12 Intro 09:30 Studio Ghibli 11:56 Star Wars Galactic Racer 30:41 What We've Been Playing 48:00 Our Perfect Final Fantasy XVII 01:19:34 Kingdom Hearts 01:25:23 Games That Shouldn't Be Remade 01:31:00 Outro   #StarWarsGalacticRacer #FinalFantasyXVII #StarWars ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus ▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

This week we're looking at what happens when Game Freak steps outside the world of Pokémon with Beast of Reincarnation, before getting hands-on with Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls. Ed has also dug out his PS3 to revisit Final Fantasy XIII. Has one of the series' most divisive entries aged better than its reputation suggests? We discuss its linearity, battle system, soundtrack and why some parts hold up considerably better than others. Elsewhere, we chat about Sonic Dream Team and Sonic Frontiers, the new Pokémon Pokopia DLC, Final Fantasy XIV on Switch 2, Star Wars Galactic Racer, what actually makes a great "summer game", and GTA VI's unusual Netflix reveal. Plus, Ben makes a rather embarrassing discovery about Horsea. Timestamps 00:00 Cold Open 00:19 Intro 03:42 Taskmaster Charity Special 10:43 Beast of Reincarnation 17:32 Sonic Dream Team & Sonic Frontiers 19:22 Star Wars Galactic Racer 20:49 Pokémon Pokopia DLC 30:41 Final Fantasy XIII Revisited 48:03 Final Fantasy XIV on Switch 2 54:10 What Makes a Summer Game? 01:01:41 Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls 01:06:15 GTA VI's Netflix Reveal 01:11:40 Outro   ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com   ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus ▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

We weren't expecting Splatoon Raiders to become one of our favourite games of the summer, but Nintendo surprised us. We also dive into 007 First Light, discussing why IO Interactive might have nailed the James Bond formula while still making something very different to Hitman. Elsewhere we chat about our recent trips to Barcelona and Copenhagen, cinema arguments (what's new?), the other games we're currently playing, and answer your comments on you've been enjoying recently. Timestamps 00:00:00 Intro 00:12:43 007 First Light review 00:36:48 Splatoon Raiders impressions 00:59:20 Nintendo's future for Splatoon 01:00:30 What we've been playing recently 01:21:50 Your comments: What are you playing? 01:24:27 The biggest releases in August #SplatoonRaiders #007FirstLight #NintendoSwitch2 ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus ▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

We've both been hooked by how incredible Forza Horizon 6 is. Ed, a non-racing game fan, and Ben who does dabble in them are loving this latest installment. Plus, we've both watched the latest Kylie doc and have mixed views. We also chat about games we're still playing 10 years later and ones we really ought to go back and finish. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:17:00 - Kylie Minogue documentary 00:27:20 - Forza Horizon 6 00:52:05 - SAROS 00:56:12 - What games we ought to go back and finish 01:12:20 - Are you still playing the same type of games now? 01:15:40 - Outro   #ForzaHorizon6    ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com  ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus ▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

In between challenging SAROS runs, Ed's played and completed Mixtape in one sitting and he's got a lot to say about it (and all the topics surrounding it). He's also get very strong opinions about the new Star Fox designs and Ben's been in a Satisfactory shaped hole that's swallowed every second of his time. We also chat about game difficulty and which games respect your time. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:29 - Mixtape 00:32:13 - Satisfactory 00:46:47 - Star Fox 00:56:12 - Game difficulty Q of the Week 01:15:40 - Outro   ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com  ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus ▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

There's only one game we've been playing this week and it's a good one - SAROS. Ed's even had a chance encounter with Rahul Kohli himself and has obviously whizzed past Ben in the game. We also chat about games where the sequels are better than the original, as well as looking ahead at games coming out this May. Your weekly dose of gaming news, views and inane chatter.  00:00:00 - Intro 00:13:41 - SAROS 00:42:55 - Sequels better than the original 00:57:29 - Games coming out this month 01:04:14 - Outro   ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com  ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus ▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social