Destin Legarie Podcast | Save State Plus

I recently sat down with Atari’s David Lowey and Mark Perloff to talk about what the company has coming next, and there was a lot to unpack.We discussed RollerCoaster Tycoon: Wonder Works, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, Thief, Atari’s retro hardware, Activision classics, Toy Story, Barbie and the larger strategy behind bringing so many older games and franchises back.Here are five of the most interesting things I learned from my conversation with Atari.

Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT is now an Xbox exclusive. Wow. PlayStation Studios reportedly informed Kojima Productions in June that it was canceling its involvement with the project, leaving Kojima searching for a new partner.Three months later, Xbox has officially announced that it will publish PHYSINT, expanding its partnership with Kojima Productions beyond OD. Kojima says the team remains committed to redefining the action-espionage genre, while Xbox says its relationship with Kojima Productions will also expand into film and television.Let’s talk about what happened, why this is such a surprising move, and what it could mean for PHYSINT, Xbox and PlayStation going forward.

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons was officially revealed at Gamescom, but after the trailer I was invited to a behind-closed-doors presentation and Q&A where the developers shared a lot more about how the game actually works.We learned new details about its open world, exploration, spell system, combat, weapon upgrades, environmental interactions and the relationship between Kaatri and Tasha.The developers also talked about their goal of capturing the experimentation of Dungeons & Dragons without strictly following the tabletop rules. Spells can interact with the environment, new abilities can help you reach previously inaccessible areas, and the team wants players to have plenty of freedom to explore and solve problems their own way.Here’s everything I learned about Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons that wasn’t covered in the reveal trailer.Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons is currently planned for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2027.

Final Fantasy Resonance caught me completely off guard. I recently had the chance to play the game with Square Enix, and now that the surprisingly substantial demo is available, I've gone back and played through the opening for myself.What I found is a fantastic blend of classic 2D Final Fantasy and modern RPG design. You've got turn-based combat, exploration, tents and save points, Espers, Visions based on iconic Final Fantasy characters, Resonance attacks, fully voiced NPCs, and some beautiful cinematic moments layered over that nostalgic pixel-art presentation.After spending a few hours with it, Final Fantasy Resonance feels like the kind of Final Fantasy game I didn't know I was missing.

I got to check out Sega’s new Crazy Taxi and came away really impressed. It still has that fast, chaotic energy you’d expect from Crazy Taxi, but with a modern approach that makes the whole thing feel much bigger.Here are my early impressions after getting some hands-on time with the game, what surprised me, and why I’m feeling much better about Crazy Taxi’s return.