A weekly newsletter about Star Wars, Video Game novels, and adjacent topics. <br/><br/><a href="https://jessebartel.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">jessebartel.substack.com</a>
Damage Per Podcast
Claim This Podcastby Jesse Bartel
5.0(5 reviews)
48 episodes
Updated Weekly
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Podcast Overview
A weekly newsletter about Star Wars, Video Game novels, and adjacent topics. <br/><br/><a href="https://jessebartel.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">jessebartel.substack.com</a>
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🇺🇲
Publishing Since
9/24/2023
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Recent Episodes
May 1, 2026
Podcast: THE EVIL WITHIN AKA The Green Gel Collection Simulator
<p>Hello all, </p><p>We are diving back into THE EVIL WITHIN-verse since both Mitch and myself played it…probably around launch? That would be about 12 years ago now….</p><p>After Shinji Mikami worked on <a target="_blank" href="https://jessebartel.substack.com/p/podcast-time-revisiting-vanquish">VANQUISH</a> with his boys over at Platinum Games, he broke away to start his own studio: Tango Gameworks. TG would go on to develop wonderful games and finally fall victim to Microsoft’s "we’ll buy you but then close you” business practice. But we don’t have to talk about that now.</p><p>Tango Gameworks ran out of money quickly after they first got started and reached a deal with ZeniMax (the Bethesda parent company). With an injection of cash flow, Mikami and team got to work on THE EVIL WITHIN which may be seen as Mikami’s reluctant journey back into the survival-horror genre. If you don’t know, Mikami was the director for RESIDENT EVIL and RESIDENT EVIL 4 and seen as the grandfather of popularizing that style of game. Whether he wanted to or not, Shinji returned with THE EVIL WITHIN in 2014 and it was met with mixed reviews. </p><p>Many praised the game for its ambition, mood and action sequences but critics/gamers became hung up on the performance and at times, frustrating game design. Critics were also mixed on the aspect ratio the game is in. The letterbox format was never a problem for me but I remember the online chatter at the time taking issue with it. </p><p>Returning to THE EVIL WITHIN 12 years later I found I still enjoyed it but was less patient with its clunkiness and poor visual fidelity. It’s an ugly game that reminds me of those Nintendo Switch ports where everything is blurry (I played this time on my Xbox Series X - not sure how PC version looks). But outside of that and a couple of “whoops you died unexpectedly” set backs, I actually found myself engrossed in the story more so this time around. Maybe because I knew the game goes off the rails that those expectations allowed me to grasp what was going on. </p><p>THE EVIL WITHIN is a clunky boy but one I still have fondness for. I praise Mikami’s ambition here to make a game both familiar and wildly imaginative. Mitch and I had such a great time again that we will be going back to play THE EVIL WITHIN 2 which Mikami was not the director of and it was also a bit of a departure from the first game in terms of its structure. I remember liking it but let’s see if it has aged well. </p><p>Another fun fact - the asylum in THE EVIL WITHIN was based of the Winchester Mystery House. If you don’t know anything about that place, GOOGLE IT but here is a picture. </p><p>Until next time, enjoy video games while you can still afford them! </p> <br/><br/>Get full access to Damage Per Second at <a href="https://jessebartel.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4">jessebartel.substack.com/subscribe</a>
March 18, 2026
Podcast Time: Revisiting VANQUISH aka The Rocket Knees Simulator
<p>Fresh off the release of <a target="_blank" href="https://jessebartel.substack.com/p/the-bayonetta-podcast-the-dommy-mommy">BAYONETTA</a>, Platinum Games released another SEGA published 3rd person stylistic action game called VANQUISH. While it doesn’t feat. a sexy witch who turns her clothes into monsters to help you dominate your enemies, it does have Sam who can blast around with propulsion devices attached to his experimental suit. </p><p>This would be the first and last game internet fav Shinji Mikami would direct for Platinum Games. If you don’t know Shinji, he is responsible for RESIDENT EVIL and RESIDENT EVIL 4 (pretty good portfolio!). But I love him most for DINO CRISIS even if CAPCOM took that franchise in the backyard and shot it. </p><p>VANQUISH is about Sam Gideon who works for DARPA and has been given an experimental suit which can boost around, punch harder, and facilitate weaponry. He is asked to test this suit out after Russian evil-man-theater kid wants to nuke New York City. From there, you fight Russian robots for about 4 hours until you find out this was all a big scheme from OUR OWN GOVERNMENT. Imagine our government being held accountable? Video games really do provide the fantasy. </p><p>Mikami wanted this game to be open-world but due to crunch and resources, the games was scaled back. He was also smart enough to build the game off the PS3 architecture so that it would run well on PS3 and Xbox 360. If you were not aware, the PS3 was difficult to develop on and even hard to port over Xbox 360 titles so he started with the problem child. </p><p>Much of the game’s design was borrowed from the 70s-80s anime CASSHERN.</p><p>Mitch and I also discuss MARATHON and RESIDENT EVIL: REQUIEM amongst other things. </p><p>I hope you enjoy! </p> <br/><br/>Get full access to Damage Per Second at <a href="https://jessebartel.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4">jessebartel.substack.com/subscribe</a>
February 3, 2026
The BAYONETTA Podcast: The Dommy Mommy Supremacy Simulator
<p>Hello all! </p><p>Welcome to another episode of THE DAMAGE PER PODCAST! This week, Mitch and I tackle one of my favorite series - BAYONETTA! </p><p>To pull off a character like Bayonetta without it being regressive is a FINE LINE. I mean, homegirl walks around in a skintight outfit in stilettos that ALSO have guns attached to them while only shedding her clothes to punish demons? Incredible. Empowering, sexy, and badass? What a combo. While it’s obvious BAYONETTA has a male following, she has gone on to inspire cosplayers for years. All hail Bayonetta! </p><p>BAYONETTA was one of the first games released by the newly formed studio PLATINUM GAMES. Consisting of CAPCOM royalty including Shinji Makami (RESIDENT EVIL) and Hideki Kamiya (DEVIL MAY CRY), PLATINUM GAMES set out to make creative, original titles in a time where that didn’t seem relegated to just the indie market. </p><p>Along with MADWORLD for the Wii, they also shipped BAYONETTA in 2009 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC with the help of publisher SEGA. The game was met with a universal “this is dope” but like every game we seem to talk about, it didn’t make its financial goal (sold over a cool million initially - it has since sold LOTS more but that didn’t help at the time). Luckily BAYONETTA (the IP) would go on to be acquired by Nintendo and we would get 2 more (and I think way better) direct sequels. I’m still not sure Nintendo was the best purchaser of the brand in terms of an audience but hey, they are great followup games. </p><p>Hideki Kamiya who was the creative mind behind BAYONETTA clearly wanted to make a new versions of DEVIL MAY CRY but with what he considers his “ideal woman.” That’s a troubling quote to read as it says more about Kamiya’s psychology than it does about anything else but hey, she IS an icon now. Shout out to Mari Shimazaki for the art design and model creation. She also went on to work for POKEMON so figure that out. </p><p>Replaying BAYONETTA after both 2 and 3 have graced us is less stellar than the first time around but there is personality bursting from the seams (literally). I mean licking your middle finger and sticking into the ignition of a motorcycle to get it turn on is by far the best way to sum up this game. </p><p>Also can we talk about the soundtrack???</p><p>Anyway, enjoy the show! Mitch and I will be tackling VANQUISH next! </p> <br/><br/>Get full access to Damage Per Second at <a href="https://jessebartel.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4">jessebartel.substack.com/subscribe</a>
48 total episodes available
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