Jack Black and Kyle Gass are back with a new song that celebrates video games. Animated versions of the rock duo appear inside several different games in a hilarious animated music video.
The video starts with the guys claiming they don’t play video games anymore, before making exception after exception for God of War, Fallout 4, Red Dead Redemption and more.
God Of War
God of War is one of the most enduring franchises in gaming. Santa Monica Studio’s saga of the angry Spartan hacking and slashing his way through Greek mythology has been with us since 2005. It has ridden giants up Mount Olympus, killed the pantheon of Greek gods (multiple times), and, in 2018, reinvented itself to focus on Norse mythology with an older Kratos and his unruly pre-teen son Atreus.
God Of War is a franchise that understands the power of a story about father-son relationships. It also knows that many of the biggest emotional beats are better shown than told, so it wisely doles out information at a deliberate pace rather than dumping everything on you from the get-go.
The gameplay remains rock solid, building off of the hack-and-slash of the original games but adding elements from other great action games like Dark Souls and Devil May Cry to keep it feeling fresh. God Of War Ragnarok has a massive open world to explore, a host of loot hunts and legendary gear crafting, and an array of side missions that compliment the main storyline.
The biggest problem with God Of War Ragnarok is that it doesn’t feel quite as powerful or revolutionary as its predecessors. It’s still an incredible game, but it feels like the studio is chasing trends instead of establishing them. That said, it’s hard to not recommend it because it still manages to deliver an emotionally satisfying and epic climax.
Fallout 4
The newest entry into the Fallout series was met with mixed reactions from fans. While the game is technically brilliant, many felt that it missed the mark when it came to role-playing. There were also some controversial design decisions such as forcing the Sole Survivor to have a spouse of opposite sex or requiring that he/she use a synth voice for dialogue. These choices were met with criticism from older Fallout fans.
While some of these issues can be overlooked, others are much more critical. For example, cannibalism is a major part of the game but is treated like a lifestyle choice rather than an option of last resort. In addition, stealing weapons from dead raiders is more of an inconvenience than a serious problem. While we get that desperate times call for desperate measures, chomping down on your roommate is not a good idea.
One thing that players can appreciate about the game is the incredible soundtrack. The games allow you to listen to classic tunes through your Pip-Boy computer and the music can be a great way to set the tone for your journey through the wasteland. The song “Jigs and Reels” by Shane MacGowan is a great example of how the music can add to the experience. The Irish twang perfectly matches the setting of the post-nuclear Boston Wasteland and the traditional instruments add a nice touch.
Red Dead Redemption
The Red Dead series by Rockstar Games is an open-world action-adventure game set in the wild west of the early 20th century. The game is centered on the story of former outlaw John Marston and his attempt to bury his blood-stained past behind him. The player controls Marston as he goes on an epic journey across the American frontier to hunt down members of his old gang and bring them to justice. The game has received critical acclaim for its visuals, music, performances and gameplay, and is considered one of the best video games ever made. It has even been featured on The Big Bang Theory, with Sheldon often playing it to “clear his head”. The game shipped 23 million copies by 2023. A prequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, was released in October 2018. The game’s development was highly expensive, and Rockstar’s working conditions were criticized by employees.
