Blizzard

Click, Click, Click... Ooo, Shiny!

HIGH Destroying legions of foes with the mere click of a mouse and watching the loot burst out of their mangled remains.

LOW Constantly wondering whether each new lag spike will prove fatal.

WTF Kicking open dead villagers to see if there's anything nice squirrelled away inside them.

Although I don't play PC games at all, many people that I follow on Twitter and around the Internet do… and with the release of Diablo III, there were a lot of upset people because of errors and server maintenance that seriously limited the amount of available playing time on launch day.

We're joined by Wowhead.com Community Manager Rhea Monique for another round of our Gaming Exchange Program. This time, Tim endured Team Fortress 2 while Richard suffered through World of Warcraft. You'll never guess the results! Plus, our take on The Death of Middle Class Gaming, and the coach from the Major League movies takes over Tim's hosting duties. Featuring Mike Bracken, Richard Naik, and (sort of) Tim Spaeth.

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Links:

• Richard's Guide to Team Fortress 2

Please send feedback and mailbag questions to podcast (at) gamecritics (dot) com.

Can 12 million people be wrong? In the case of World of Warcraft, the answer may be...well, that would be telling. In this episode we break down Cataclysm and the state of WoW. Plus, the sensational indie roguelike Epic Dungeon, and gaming resolutions for 2011...ours and YOURS. Featuring Chi Kong Lui, Brad Gallaway, Mike Bracken, Richard "A Closet Joke Would Be Way Too Easy Here" Naik, and Tim Spaeth.

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Games discussed:

• World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
• Epic Dungeon

Please send feedback and mailbag questions to podcast (at) gamecritics (dot) com.

"After Dark" is our new, experimental podcast series. By "experimental," we mean "shorter than the normal podcast." In the premiere, you'll hear Tim and Richard talk about StarCraft II, a clever little indie game from the makers of "Blackthorne." Parents beware: One of these men is shirtless.

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Topics discussed:

• StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

Please send feedback and mailbag questions to podcast (at) gamecritics (dot) com.

On the Wings of Love

HIGH: Swarming marines with carriers and watching them go crazy trying to shoot all the interceptors.

LOW: The cringe-inducing "happily ever after" ending.

WTF: Zeratul: "I don't have time to explain.....so stare at this crystal for like four hours...."

Game Description: Continue the epic saga of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. These three distinct and powerful races will clash once again in the fast-paced real-time strategy sequel to the original, StarCraft. Legions of veteran, upgraded, and new unit types will do battle across the galaxy, as each faction struggles for survival. Featuring a single-player campaign that picks up where StarCraft: Brood War left off, StarCraft II presents a cast of new heroes and familiar faces in a sci-fi story filled with adventure and intrigue. In addition, Blizzard offers online play through Battle.net with several enhancements and features to make StarCraft II even better.

It's nice to see hot celebs talk about video games like it ain't no thang.