Скачать или смотреть HLC Podcast Episode 053: The Side Quest Spiral: Gaming Dopamine Hits & Real-Life Avoidance

Chris and Paul are back after battling tech gremlins and side questing through both their PCs and lives. Chris recounts how his power supply took out his motherboard in a blaze of glory, triggering a full-blown hardware glow-up with a beastly new build. Meanwhile, Paul ditched his sluggish laptop for a real-deal gaming rig and instantly felt the digital upgrade.

From “Tony Hawk Pro Skater” nostalgia to getting wrecked in “Black Myth: Wukong,” the boys spiral into why side quests in games hit way harder than actual real-life responsibilities. Listeners chime in with their own legendary detours — cheese wheel pyramids in Skyrim, mushroom hunts in Zelda, and horse pampering in Red Dead 2.

The crew even dips into shows like Mr. Robot, The Sandman, and that new Superman flick, and Chris shares how he's been converting grow rooms into drum dungeons and backyard hangouts. The High Court segment returns with a banger: Should side quests be optional — or are they the real meat of the game?