This week host Steve Watts invites Steven Wong and Daniel Perez to talk about open worlds that feel more real, how DLC sways buying decisions, and personal connections in games. Plus, the gang has a frank and honest discussion about Geralt's body hair.

Thanks as always to those who provided our topic suggestions this week: Hemtroll, and David Craddock. If you want see your name in lights, keep an eye on Chatty to suggest topics! And, special thanks to Chatty user dael for contributing music to the show, and to Bryan "Doctor Games" Carr for production assistance.

• Open world games continues to be hot shit but every time I play one I find myself disappointed by the static world. You can kill three hundred cops in GTA and respawn to a fresh world, completely unaffected by everything you just did. Skyrim has essential NPCs which stop you from breaking the main quest. Even the original Mercenaries would respawn buildings after you dropped an artillery barrage in downtown Pyongyang. Why do you think this is and can you suggest some game where the world actually responds to player actions in a meaningful way?
• Do you find that you're bothered by DLC in general, or can the presentation and/or content in DLC sway your way of thinking? I'm perfectly fine with DLC content that feels substantial enough to remind me of expansions packs of yesteryear. I didn't mind paying $30 for new characters, quests, maps, items, and story content, but I have a beef with companies who re-skin content I already have and try to pass it off as something new. But even in cases where I'm excited for or optimistic about DLC, such as Batman: AK's plethora of prequels and missions, I don't like it when publishers shove DLC in my face months ahead of the base game's release. As is the case with Batman.
• I play a lot of strategy games but I always end up picking Sweden when it's a playable faction (I'm Swedish) and when I play FIFA or football manager I inevitably pick my local team even if they suck. Are there any games that you play in a certain way because you have some personal connection to it? Always picking America in games doesn't count, that's too easy.

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