Kat Bailey, Nadia Oxford, and Eric Van Allen explore Final Fantasy, Skyrim, and all the best in the wonderful world of role-playing video games! Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/bloodgodpod
The podcast Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Podcast is created by Axe of the Blood God. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
I am the Black Mage! I casts the spells that makes the peoples fall down!
Time to put on your robe and wizard hat; we're talkin' Black Mages!
From Vivi to Donald Duck, all your favourite magic missile-slingers are here and ready to nuke Eric, Nadia, and special guest Timothy Monbleau!
Special Thanks to Edwyn "Omahdon" Tiong, voice of Black Mage.
Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch by Nina Matsumoto at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com
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Should've called it the Swiitch.
Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest Brian Shea tell you everything you need to know about the Nintendo Direct Switch 2 announcements plus Brian's hands-on experience at the recent press event. There's a slew of RPGs of all stars and stripes heading for the console. Whether you'll be able to get your little hands on them without selling a body part or two remains to be seen. But at least we can talk about them for free!
Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch by Nina Matsumoto at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com
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This podcast of mine glows with an awesome power!
Its hot takes tell me to treat you! TAKE THIS!
My love, my anger, and ALL my opinions!
Super Robot Wars is joined by some other games also announced in the opening left hook of the Nintendo Direct one-two punch combo.
Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch by Nina Matsumoto at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com
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Living here in New LA, fighting villains from afar. You got to find first gear in your giant robot car.
The Xenoblade saga on Switch is now complete with the inclusion of Xenoblade Chronicles X (Xenoblade Cross if you're nasty). But it's been 10 years since the original release on WiiU; has it aged well? The very idea of video games "aging well" is a concept invented by tech-capitalists so don't ask me that. Instead ask "How much of the current open-world RPG landscape do we owe to it, do the gameplay elements designed for the WiiU transpose to the Switch well, and exactly how fantastic a game is it?"
All these questions and more will be answered by Kat, Nadia, Eric, and Victor on this interstellar episode of Axe of the Blood God!
Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch by Nina Matsumoto at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com
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The only two good things to come out economic recession.
Eric, Nadia, and special guest Lucas White are here to give the long-running, cult-classic Atelier series it's flowers. But can the latest entry, Yumia, hang with the Ryzas and the Maries and the Irises and the Eschas and the Logys? Listen up to find out!
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Oscar season has passed but the stars are still out; all 108 of them!
Kat, Nadia, and Eric are joined by a special guest who literally wrote the book on Suikoden; Aidan Moher! They discuss the ups and downs of the recently released remaster and whether they are the versions of Suikoden you should play!
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Wanna feel old?
Well don't! You're only 10 years older than you were when Axe of the Blood God started and if you placed the entirety of your life so far in Carl Sagan's cosmic calendar you would exist as a mere blip in the final second of the final day. But there's never been a better blip to exist in than this one if you're really into RPGs! So join Kat, Nadia, Eric, and Victor as they discuss what they believe to be the finest RPGs the last 10 years had to offer.
Whether you're a new listener or you've been with us since the beginning, thank you for your support. Here's to 10 more bloody years!
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*SPOILERS*
THE FINAL LIST:
10- Octopath Traveler II
9- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
8- Persona 5
7- Fire Emblem: Three Houses
6- NieR: Automata
5- Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
4- Elden Ring
3- Undertale
2- Baldur's Gate III
1- Disco Elysium
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It's just another MonHun Monday!
Bring your Cool Drinks to survive the Hot Takes in our review of Monster Hunter Wilds. Will this be the entry that makes MonHun skeptics take the leap? Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss this Elder Dragon-sized game!
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Obsidian's new covert entry in the Pillars of Eternity world is out now; but is it just a Skyrim-like? I don't mind telling you upfront; no. But what IS it, I hear you screaming? Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest John Carson are here to tell you!
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The only thing orthodox about this episode of Axe of the Blood God is the allusions the Catholicism! Eric is joined by special guest Leana Hafer to talk RPG news and they're both joined by other special-guest Jason Fanelli and other other special guest Nadia Oxford to dig into one of the biggest RPGs of 2025 so far; Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
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It is once again Letter Tiiiiiiime.
Kat, Nadia, and Eric answer YOUR burning questions like: What are some big freaky guys?
If you'd like a chance to have your letters read on a future episode join us over on the discord!
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If it is then Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is looking like The Birth of Venus.
Why did turn-based RPGs ever fall out of vogue? Did they ever? Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss the mainstream resurgence of the turn-based RPG and wether we might be seeing even more on the horizon. All that and more on this menu-based episode of Axe of the Blood God!
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The Switch 2 is here!
Well, it's THERE. Somewhere. But now we know that when it gets HERE it will look like that! And sometimes that's all you can ask for in this crazy world.
Join Kat, Nadia, Eric, and Good Vibe's Gaming's Jon Cartwright as they discuss everything we know and everything we DON'T know about Nintendo's new console.
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If everything is an RPG then nothing is an RPG.
Nadia, Eric, and special guest Reb Valentine are here to discuss the RPG-ification of games over the past decade and change; what does it mean to adopt RPG-like mechanics? When are systems metaphor for player action and when are they a means to pad out a progression loop for commercial value? Are either of those things better than the other? All this philosophy and more, Horatio, on this episode of Axe of the Blood God!
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It's a new year, and that means a whole lot more RPGs are on the way to ruin our backlogs and occupy our time. Kat, Nadia, and Eric gather together to talk about all the big hits you should look out for, as well as:
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00:00 - Intro
01:50 - The 2025 RPG Preview
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The Blood God hosts are taking a quick holiday break so as a treat we're pulling a classic episode of Pantheon of the Blood God out from behind the paywall!
Listen to this deep-dive into Dragon Quest Builders 2 and if you like what you hear subscribe at the $10 tier to access the entire back catalogue of Pantheon of the Blood God. Or better yet, give the gift of the Blood God this holiday season with Patreon's new subscription gifting feature.
Regular episodes will be back soon but until then enjoy this classic:
Dragon Quest Builders 2 is an action RPG that's literally about building yourself up from scratch. You cook the food that sustains you. You build the forges that fire your swords. Heck, you want to sleep in an Inn? Build it yourself, lazybones. And when you do, it just feels so good.
Minecraft's blood runs thick through Dragon Quest Builders 2, but Square Enix's game adds so much more to Mojang's classic block-building phenomenon. At least that's what Nadia says. But is it Pantheon worthy? That's what Eric and Nadia are here to discuss alongside two very prominent Builders with beautiful voices: Jon Cartwright and Brandon Jones!
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The appointed time is upon us. You've waited all year to hear the Axe of the Blood God's best RPG picks for 2024 (er, right?) and we're ready to dish. Nadia, Kat, and Eric hash out the winners in this extra thicc episode. Several categories are up for discussion beyond "Best RPG of 2024," such as this year's best character performance, this year's best visuals, and, uh, this year's best "freaky little guy." To listen is to understand, so shove this episode into your ear-holes, and we'll see you in 2025. Thanks for your continued support!
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It is done. Geoff Keighley descended from Gamer Mountain with the results of 2024's Game Awards scrawled onto two stone tablets. (Brought to you by Mountain Dew.) Kat, Eric, and Nadia understandably have opinions about the games that were snubbed, and the games that received recognition. How about you? Do you agree with Geoff's decrees? Are you with us? Or against us? Listen to this episode and use your heart to decide. And make sure to have a hard think about overlooked gems this year while we talk about our own "hidden" favourites.
Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and Discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod
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Pour yourself a delicious bowl of proprietary memory cards and fire up an unskippable cutscene; we're talking all about what 30 years of Playstation has meant for RPGs!
Are we in a better timeline than the one where Square stuck with Nintendo? Find out on this week's episode!
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The Blood God hosts are taking a quick holiday break so as a treat we're pulling a classic episode of Pantheon of the Blood God out from behind the paywall!
Listen to this deep-dive into Lunar: Silver Star Story and if you like what you hear subscribe at the $10 tier to access the entire back catalogue of Pantheon of the Blood God. Or better yet, give the gift of the Blood God this holiday season with Patreon's new subscription gifting feature.
Regular episodes will be back soon, including our year-end lists, but until then enjoy this classic:
For the March 2023 edition of the Pantheon of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric are joined by Anthony John Agnello and Aidan Moher for Lunar: The Silver Star Story! Their increasingly unhinged conversation covers the following:
Then the verdict: Is Lunar: Silver Star Story worthy of the Pantheon of the Blood God? Listen in and find out!
As always, a huge thanks to our $10 and up Patrons for all your support! Every month we pick a new RPG for Pantheon contention, which is voted on by the Blood God community at large. Next up: Super Mario RPG! Join the Discord to discuss the episode, and to follow our Monthly Game Club discussions!
Time Stamps
00:00 - Introduction
05:00 - Hosts' history with the Lunar series
24:20 - Lunar's development history
57:29 - Critical reception
1:16:20 - Does Lunar deserve to be in the Pantheon?
1:43:20 - The Verdict
1:56:00 - Outro
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I hope you don't mind missables because there's no perfect route through this episode; it's time for Romancing SaGa!
Kat, Nadia, and Eric are enlightened by special guest Lucas White's SaGa knowledge as they discuss both of this year's SaGa entries: Emerald Beyond and Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven!
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As Canadian kid's game show "UH-OH" character Punisher once said; IT'S SLIME TIME.
Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest Cam Hawkins discuss the newest DQ from SE. Is the HD-2D remake of Famicom classic Dragon Quest III the definitive version? Is it a good jumping off point for new players of the series? Did you know it's actually Dragon Quest VI in Japan?
All this and more in this episode of Axe of the Blood God!
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Hey, it's a bit bonkers out there! Why not retreat for a moment into the human race's oldest form of escapism; video games!
Games like Stardew Valley are no-brainers but you may be surprised what kinds of games our panel takes comfort in when it feels like the world is burning down around them. All this and more on this week's Axe of the Blood God!
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Everyone look under your chair and put on your custom "Kiss the Rook" aprons I've made for you because it's time to dig into another of the massive RPGs of the year -- Dragon Age: The Veilguard!
From character creation to romance, from classes to dungeon design, the writing and the role-playing, the good and the bad; Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest Leana Hafer cover it all on this very special episode of Axe of the Blood God!
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It's been a dragon's age since we've had a new Dragon Age but the time has finally arrived.
Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss the entire series, its influences, its impact, and more as we get closer to the launch of Veilguard!
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BAT!
Join Kat, Nadia, and your old pal from the edit bay Victor Hunter as they discuss the hottest (and sometimes the most mechanically interesting) characters in RPGs; the dhampir! They're not JUST for bisexuals!
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It's time to Fantazio. Again!
Kat, Nadia, and Eric, are joined by IGN's Michael Higham to discuss the biggest RPG release of October, Metaphor: ReFantazio. Take a shot every time someone mentions Persona, or for the full effect take a shot every time someone doesn't mention SMT.
All that plus leaks, anime recommendations, passionate pleas from Nadia to end the console wars, and more on this week's jam-packed episode of Axe of the Blood God!
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Unionizations, lay-offs, tragic passings! It's been A Year! Eric, Nadia, and special guest Jesse Vitelli discuss the biggest headlines of the year and take a look at the latest Legend of Zelda!
It's an episode of tonal whiplash and fond reminiscence!
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On today's extra beefy episode of Axe of the Blood God, we welcome special guest Jason Schreier and talk about his upcoming book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. Tune in for a preview that brings context to some of Blizzard's biggest successes, mishaps, and controversies, including its campus culture, the sexual harassment lawsuit leveled against it, and the infamous Cosby Suite.
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No, you see these are uh... Pocket Buddies! And we don't catch'em. We seal'em! In uh, Pocket Orbs!
Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss Nintendo's suit against the creators of Palworld and what this means for patents and Pokemon-esque projects going forward. Plus, the crew has been playing some Dragon Age Veilguard!
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And it doesn't even have a new Ridge Racer.
Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss the PS5 Pro, it's fascinating price point, Astrobot, Sony's future, and more on this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God!
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For the first time since 2006's Dawn of Mana (a totally fun game, don't let anyone tell you otherwise) we have a new mainline entry in the storied Seiken Densetsu series. Does Visions of Mana prove that the mana tree still has plenty of good years left in'er, or is the vision getting blurry? Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss this colourful action RPG and more on this episode of Axe of the Blood God!
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Brr. Can you feel the chill in the air? Maybe you can, maybe you can't. The weather's been really screwy this summer. This week, the Blood God crew wades hip-deep into 2024's fall RPG season to evaluate what's coming, and to take a guess at which games look likeliest to bogart all their attention through September and October. Will it be the mystical Metaphor ReFantazio? The utterly charming Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom? Or perhaps the beleaguered Dragon Age Veilguard will dominate the autumn season. Listen in and shout your own choices at your audio output device. Or tune into the show live next time at twitch.tv/bloodgodpod. We show up every Saturday at 9:30 PT /12:30 ET.
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On this week's episode Kat, Eric, and special guest Brian Shea discuss all the news out of Gamescom! Does Xbox still need a Mario? What is happening with Blizzard? All these questions and more will be answered in this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God!
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On this week's episode Kat, Eric, Nadia and special guest Matt McMuscles discuss the history of beat'em ups, RPGs, and where the twain shall meet! What is the first RPG beat'em up crossover? What even IS Yakuza? How does George Kamitani tie it all together? All these questions and more will be answered in this week's very special Trans Lifeline Charity Livestream episode of Axe of the Blood God!
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On this week's episode Kat, Eric, and special guest Alex Van Aken discuss the current landscape of soulsbornes, the future of soulsbornes, what makes a soulsborne a soulsborne, and please can we call it something else so I can stop saying soulsborne. And no one talks about Code Vein and Stranger of Paradise enough.
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On this week's episode Kat, Eric, and special guests Saniya Ahmed and Nicole Carpenter discuss recent layoffs in both journalism and development. How will Bungie's layoffs change the future of Destiny? Does Destiny HAVE a future? Should it? All these question and more will be answered in this week's Axe of the Blood God!
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It's the Summer o' Summoners on Axe of the Blood God! We're celebrating summoners, extoling evokers, and commemorating callers! But first we have to decide who qualifies? Are Pokemon Trainers summoners? Is Ichiban a summoner? Is listening to a podcast not a kind of summoning? That's right, as far as I'm concerned YOU'RE my favourite summoner, dear listener. All this and more on this week's Axe of the Blood God!
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By popular demand, it's a long-overdue look at the colossal Trails series! Kat, Nadia, and Eric are joined by Trails expert James Galizio to discuss the latest entry to celebrate the series' 20th anniversary; Trails Through Daybreak. How do you get into a series with a dozen entries in the same narrative? Is Daybreak a good place to jump in? What's the best game in the series?
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We've all got one. Some are bigger than others but we can all agree that we can't get enough of'em. No, not opinions. I'm talking backlogs!
Whether it's a real life shelf with a copy of Shadow Hearts you borrowed from your friend 7 years ago and can't quite bring yourself to play but also don't want to give back, or your digital shelf full of game titles you've never even heard of, we've all got games we swear we'll get around to someday. Kat, Nadia, and Victor discuss some of their biggest blind spots and more on this episode of Axe of the Blood God!
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Sometimes it's not just about the power of friendship.
Even the most friend-shaped RPGs can pull the rug out from under you with a moment that makes your skin crawl. Sometimes they beat you over the head with that rug with moments that make you go "aww jeez, come on, don't do that!" On this week's Axe of the Blood God Nadia and Victor discuss their favourite(?) moments in games that embrace the creepy, the macabre, or the truly depraved. It's not the first episode where we talk about marrying cousins and it won't be the last!
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So long dads and grads; Summer is here and that means pina coladas on the beaches of Tural. And as we soak up that vitamin D we might as well reflect on the year so far. What RPGs have blown our minds, which ones not so much, and what are we looking forward to in the latter half of Anno Domini 2024? Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss all this, plus Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, and more on this week's Axe of the Blood God!
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I hope you like your rings elden and your trees erd because this week Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest Mitchell Saltzman discuss the much-anticipated Elden Ring DLC. Plus, the latest Nintendo Direct, and Eric's experience with Final Fantasy VI so far. It's a jam-packed episode this week on Axe of the Blood God!
Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod
Also in this episode:
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More like Summer Games FEAST. The deluge of news simply doesn't stop. This time Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest Brenden Groom focus on Dragon Age: The Veilguard plus a bazillion other games that were announced over the past week.
Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod
Also in this episode:
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We're at the SGF. We're at the Day of the Devs. We're at the Xbox Showcase. We're at the combination SGF, Day of the Devs, Xbox Showcase. Kat and Eric are joined by Michael Higham and Moises Tavares to discuss an absolute deluge of game reveals, announcements, trailers, and news.
Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod
Also in this episode:
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The season of big summer announcements has begun! Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss the RPG offerings Sony has revealed in the latest State of Play. What do PlayStation-playing RPG-lovers have to look forward to in the near future? Find out on this episode of Axe of the Blood God!
Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod
Also in this episode:
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The Mario RPG remakes continue with a Gamecube classic and Kat, Nadia, and special guest Logan Plant are here to talk about it. Does the brilliant script hold up? Is the combat and progression still as fantastic as it's always been? And who is the best companion? That's easy, we all know who it is. Go on. You get one guess. And if it's wrong you need to leave.
Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod
Also in this episode:
Timestamps:
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It's letter tiiime, it's letter tiiime!~ Axe of the Blood God's May mailbag is here, and it is loaded with some excellent questions from our listeners. The topics of discussion are, but not limited to:
Also in this episode:
Timestamps:
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Capitalism continues to function as intended with the closure of several studios by Microsoft. What's the future of Game Pass? What will RPGs on Microsoft platforms look like going forward? And how many lives need to be ruined by rich people before we bring back the thing that rhymes with "creatine'? Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss this and so much more on this episode of Axe of the Blood God! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod
Also in this episode:
Timestamps:
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A slew of un-announced titles from Square Enix have just been skewered by the masamune in a grand restructuring. In the wake of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's sales, where does our beloved JRPG machine go from here? The odds of getting a Various Daylife 2 seem slimmer than ever. Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss the future of the house that Final Fantasy built and more on this week's episode!
Listen AD-FREE and get hundreds of hours of bonus episodes by subscribing at patreon.com/bloodgodpod
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
04:16 - Main Topic
55:52 - Random Encounters
1:02:56 - The Tavern
1:32:48 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Wait for Truth - [Live-A-Live]
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Let's re-litigate like it 2015! Does Fallout 4 deserve the hate that it gets in certain circles? With the current-gen update and the TV series bringing Fore-out back to the Fall-front it's time for Kat and Eric to go head-to-head and determine if Fallout 4 is one of the greats of the genre or deserves to be cast into the Pandaemonium pit.
Also in this episode:
Timestamps:
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When you consider inflation that's really only gonna get you as far as seventy-ish heroes.
Either way the spiritual successor of Suikoden has arrived! Is it worth the wait? Did they manage to fit all them heroes into the Switch version? Eric, Nadia, and special guest Lucas White discuss this much-anticipated crowd-funded torch-bearer of the late Yoshitaka Murayama's legacy.
Also in this episode:
Timestamps:
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Did you know Walton Goggins has his own distillery? You can buy Walton Goggins-branded gin if you want. And if you, like me, happily embrace any opportunity to see beloved character-actor Walton Goggins on screen then boy howdy the new Fallout show is for you! A veritable overpour of Goggins -- much like how one might make a generous cocktail with the fine spirits from Walton Goggins' distillery! How many more times can I type 'Walton Goggins'?! At least once more; Walton Goggins! Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss what makes a good video game adaptation, if Square can make a hit movie, and whether there's beef between Bethesda and Obsidian!
Also in this episode:
Timestamps:
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They share more than just fireballs! Kat and Eric are joined by special guests Brenden Groom and Mitchell Saltzman to discuss why these are two genres that taste great together! What fighting games would make a great RPG? What RPG would make a great fighting game? Where is there already plenty of crossover? And why is 2B in all of them anyway?
Also in this episode:
Timestamps:
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Hope you like car wrecks because this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God is hosted by Nadia Oxford. With Kat Bailey out on another cigarette run and Eric's vocal cords being shredded apart by PAX Pox, Nadia's forced to try and keep order. This week's guest is writer Jesse Vitelli, who has plenty to say about Visions of Mana, Dragon's Dogma 2, and how to get banned from Chuck E Cheese for life.
Also in this episode:
Timestamps:
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What is this, a crossover episode?!
Our old pals Bob Mackey and Henry Gilbert of Retronauts, Talking Simpsons, and What A Cartoon fame stop by the Blood God studios to offer their animation history expertise while discussing some of the biggest games of the year as well as the classics they've been catching up on.
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
4:48 - Main Topic
46:24 - Random Encounters
1:29:16 - Kat's Industry Storytime
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
On the Lakefront - [Another Code R]
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Vanillaware has done it again; defying conventional wisdom, they've gifted us the most Sega Saturn game we've seen in ages. Emerging from an alternate universe where Ogre Battle was revered as much as it's tile-based cousins, Unicorn Overlord is here. Does it conquer this oft-unexplored branch of the SRPG family tree or is it a little too uni-corny? Join Kat, Nadia, and Eric as they discuss this exciting new entry in Vanillaware's off-beat canon. Either way there will be some VERY GOOD character designs.
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
4:48 - Main Topic - Paying Tribute to Akira Toriyama
59:04 - Random Encounters
1:02:22 - The Tavern
1:23:50 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Farde mal Diavolo - [Unicorn Overlord]
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Akira Toriyama died on March 1, leaving behind a legacy that includes Dragon Ball, Dragon Quest, and an incredible impact on both games and anime. With Eric out, Kat and Nadia are joined by Victor Hunter and Ash Paulsen to break down he changed RPGs, our memories of watch Dragon Ball, and more.
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
5:00 - Main Topic - Paying Tribute to Akira Toriyama
45:00 - Random Encounters
50:00 - The Tavern
1:35:00 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Melancholy - [Dragon Quest VI]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you're going to mosey you might as well mosey with the best.
The cast of Final Fantasy 7 has always been a fan favourite; does Rebirth give these characters more room to breathe or just a lot of filler? And what other FF cast compares to them? Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss the best ensembles of the series and more in this character-driven episode of Axe of the Blood God!
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
3:44 - Main Topic - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
1:00:00 - Random Encounters
1:15:16 - The Tavern
1:34:56 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
The Run Around Part 1 - [Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade]
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It's the spoiler-free Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Spectacular! The panel has had plenty of time with Rebirth, or as I like to call it "Final Fantasy VII-3". Does it improve upon Remake? Does it stand on it's own? Do you need to play the lost mid-200s Japanese feature phone game Before Crisis to fully grasp the importance of the character of Cissnei? Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest Nick Limon talk about all this and more on A Very FF7 episode of Axe of the Blood God!
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
3:04 - Main Topic - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
1:11:16 - Random Encounters
1:22:22 - The Tavern
1:44:40 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Final Fantasy VII Main Theme Jazz Arrangement - [Final Fantasy VII Jazz]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's letter tiiiiime, it's letter time!!
It's everyone's favourite time of year; Letter Time!
Join Kat, Nadia, and Eric as they tackle some hard-hitting questions like "what's your favourite juice?"
If you'd like to submit questions for our next mailbag episode be sure to join our discord at patreon.com/bloodgodpod!
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
3:30 - Letter Time
3:44 - Levelling
14:56 - Juice
20:10 - Potion or Food?
22:24 - Shiren and Unicorn Overlooked?
27:50 - Nintendo Direct Rumors
35:12 - Minigames
42:45 - Sicko Mode
48:40 - Fav Pantheon
53:40 - Happiness
59:50 - Random Encounters
1:10:40 - The Tavern
1:27:40 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
The Runaround Part III - [Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Love is in the air; as long as the project roadmap has made allowances for it in the overall budget! Kat, Nadia, and Eric talk about the best and worst relationships in RPGs. How do you write a natural relationship in a videogame? Should relationships just be a means to an end? Will anyone bring up Sakura Wars?
It's an S-rank Support Conversation on this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God!
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
10:248 - RPG Romance
49:04 - Random Encounters
1:07:32 - The Tavern
1:40:20 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
My Blue Sky - [Sakura Wars]
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The Three Musketeers, 3 Ninjas, Persona 3. Just a few examples of franchises that began with 3. And here to celebrate the remake, Persona 3 Reload, are Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest Kenneth Shepard! They discuss differences between the original, the perfect starting off point for players new to the series, and why there's never been a Persona 1 or 2!
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
05:20 - Persona Talk!
52:45 - Random Encounters
1:10:24 - The Tavern
1:40:20 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Spring Breath - [Linda³]
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Canadian chart-topping darlings BNL once said "If I had a million dollars I'd buy you a house." Unfortunately with inflation being the way it is a million dollars can hardly get you a downpayment anymore. No my friend, what you need to get anywhere in this world is wealth. INFINITE WEALTH. And Ichiban is bringing it in his latest adventure. Come join Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest Jesse Vitelli as they discuss the equal parts madness and heart of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth as the onslaught of massive 2024 RPGs begins.
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
04:48 - Main Topic - Developer Quest: RGG
54:32 - Random Encounters
1:20:32 - The Tavern
1:40:20 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
ATLANTICA - [7th Dragon III VFD]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You down with RGG? Yeah, you know me!
From Super Monkey Ball to Infinite Wealth, our prestigious panel covers the history and key players of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. Eric, Nadia, and special guest Michael Higham discuss the runaway success of the Yakuza/Like A Dragon series, the charm of 1988 Kamurochō, and the role these games have played in their own personal lives and careers. Much like Like A Dragon itself, this episode is full of heartfelt sentimentality contrasted with borderline absurdist comedy!
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
07:00 - Main Topic - Developer Quest: RGG
1:02:28 - Random Encounters
1:13:12 - The Tavern
1:26:58 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Pure Love in Kamurocho - [Yakuza 0]
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2024's RPG landscape is already being defined by a handful of big titles. But those games aren't made in a vaccuum. They're made by people! People who work at studios! And those studios have names.
Listen as Kat, Eric, and special guest Ethan Gach discuss the 5 biggest studios that are already shaping the present and future of RPGs.
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
06:10 - Main Topic - Top RPG Studios of 2024
06:16 - CD Projekt Red
09:56 - ATLUS
13:28 - Square Enix
19:04 - FromSoftware
27:50 - Larian
54:44 - Random Encounters
57:12 - GDQ
1:02:56 - The Tavern
1:21:58 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
The Day Will Come (From Final Fantasy V) - [Final Fantasy XIV - Endwalker]
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There are some questions we as a species will always be asking; Is consciousness inherent to our universe? Is time a construct? What cool new video games will come out in 2024?
10 hard-hidding questions will be asked of our intrepid panel and you'll hear Kat, Nadia, and Eric dole out answers like it's their job. What can we look forward to? What surprises are in store that we don't even know we want to look forward to? The Switch 2, acquisitions, the GaaS event horizon; all this and more in this interrogatory episode of Axe of the Blood God!
Also in this Episode:
This episode is sponsored by Factor. For 50% off head to factormeals.com/axerpgadventure50 and use code: axerpgadventure50
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
05:36 - Main Topic - 10 Big Questions for 2024
51:15 - Random Encounters
57:04 - Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Preview
1:21:58 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Headquarters - [Skies of Arcadia]
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There's never been a more appropriate year to anticipate RPGs than this one! Whether it's "Like A", "Quest", or "Dogma 2", the Year of the Dragon is bound to bring you something you'll sink a not-insignificant part of your year into! Join Kat, Nadia, and Eric as they each talk about their Top 5 Most Anticipated RPGs of 2024 and more!
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
06:40 - Main Topic - RPGs We're Looking Forward To
1:25:16 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
1:26:16 - Nadia's BONUS NOOK
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
New Year's Day (2 AM - 5 AM) - Animal Crossing New Horizons
Games Mentioned in this Episode:
Dragon's Dogma 2
Persona 3 Reload
Unicorn Overlord
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
Decapolice
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Dragon Quest III HD-2D
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Visions of Mana
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
Citizen Sleeper 2
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Merry Chrysler! We here at Axe of the Blood God prepared this very special episode that takes both a deeply critical and celebratory look at the nutty year that just passed us by. We had RPGs galore! Have we ever seen such bounty? New Zelda! New Baldur's Gate! New Cyberpunk...sort of!
But we had troubles galore, too. Layoffs and downsizing left and right. The end of vintage game media websites and game studios. What awaits us in 2024? We dunno! But we can guarantee the Blood God will always be with you. That's what Christmas is all about.
In this episode:
Music used in this episode:
Secret of Mana Santa art source
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The Holidays are right around the corner and you know what that means?
That's right! All the children who have been good year 'round gather at the local podcast to hear the wise old hosts dispense their recommendations for the year! But what's this? Mean Mr. Grinch stole aaaaaall the popular games this year! Fret not, little one. Just because mainstream gaming media hasn't covered it doesn't mean it's not worth curling up with next to the fire. In fact, just for you we've compiled a list of wonderful games no one seems to be talking about! Let Eric, Nadia, and beloved guest Reb Valentine (along with a mail-in ballot from our editor abroad, Victor Hunter) tell you what you missed while you were being a sweet angel 24/7.
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
1:10:40 - Random Encounters
1:27:36 - The Tavern
1:41:52 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Jeuno Starlight Celebration - Final Fantasy XI [Square Enix X'mas Collection]
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Sponsored by Factor
It was an embarrassment of RPG riches as well as just plain embarrassment at this year's Game Awards 2023 as Keighley Fest 2023 once again brought us trailers, celebrities, and way too much Hideo Kojima. Nadia, Kat, and Eric recap everything that happened at this year's show, including the major reveals (Monster Hunter! Exodus!), the winners (Baldur's Gate 3... a lot!) and controversies (maybe don't play developers off the stage when they're trying to honor dead colleagues!). All that and more in this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God!
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro/Pantheon poll winner
07:45 - Game Awards 2023 Announcements, Winners, and Controversies
1:05:00 - Random Encounters
1:08:00 - The Tavern
1:26:38: Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - Breath of Fire III
A Curious Tale - Secret of Mana
Maze of Life - Persona Q
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The year 2023 has been absolutely packed with RPGs, and there's always something flying under the radar. Darkest Dungeon 2 might just be one of those - a follow-up to a beloved dungeon-crawler that still feels like it hasn't had quite the same impact as its predecessor.
So one of our Patreon supporters joined us this week to talk the Darkest Dungeon series and why it's worth keeping an eye on the sequel. We dive into the history, mechanics, dark humor, and gorgeous art of the Darkest Dungeon this week.
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro/Pantheon poll winner
10:45 - Darkest Dungeon talk
44:04 - Random Encounters
1:06:25 - The Tavern
1:23:48: Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - Breath of Fire III
A Curious Tale - Secret of Mana
Clash on the Big Bridge - Final Fantasy V
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It's the DVD commentary you didn't know you wanted!
If you haven't already, now's the time to watch the movie that may have shaped RPG history more than any other. Time for L'arc en Ciel, the most bizarre performance of Steve Buscemi's career, and the Final Fantasy story that most closely resembles the works of L. Ron Hubbard!
This episode is best experienced as a commentary alongside playback of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within but also functions perfectly well as a stand-alone podcast so pick your poison and join Kat, Nadia, Eric, and Victor as we dig around Within and see what those Spirits are up to!
MOVIE STARTS - 10:08
FINAL THOUGHTS - 1:48:17
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There are more Persona spin-offs than there are stars in the night sky but luckily most of them are pretty darn good! Listen as Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss the Phantom Thieves' latest heist in Persona 5 Tactica. Even the Persona Q series gets some love! Good! It deserves it! Plus, Nadia takes us on a Geno Whirl-wind journey through Super Mario RPG.
Editor's Note: Yes, Kat's microphone cuts out at a certain point. But consider this; maybe it'll be something we can all laugh about ten years from now. And besides, the solution I came up with it cosmically funny and won't bother anyone.
Also in this Episode:
- Final Fantasy on N64! No way!
- Eric Got Through: Mellow Zone Act 1
- A social experiment involving Animalese
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intros
39:28 - Random Encounters
1:20:22 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Beware the Forest's Mushrooms - [Super Mario RPG]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is Miyamoto. It's actually happening. A live action Legend of Zelda is on the way. How much faith do we have in the team behind it? What is our dream casting? And how can we talk about Love Actually instead? All these questions and more will be answered by Kat, Nadia, and special guest Alex Stedman!
For what it's worth I think they missed their chance when Jonathan Taylor Thomas aged out of playing Link in the 90s but no one bothered to ask me. I also think every live action adaptation should end with a Red Hot Chili Peppers drop like the Death Note movies do. Again, no one asked me. Adaptation (2002) is really the only good adaptation anyway. Go watch that.
Also in this Episode:
- One Piece is good
- Disney is bad
- Avatar might be fine?
- Baldur's Gate and Starfield.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intros
44:48 - Random Encounters
1:00:48 - Baldur's Gate Talk Begins
1:21:04 - Baldur's Gate Talk Ends, Starfield Talk Begins
1:32:00 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Fairy Fountain (Pause) - [Cadence of Hyrule]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Did you know Tri-Ace was founded when the members of Wolf Team developing Tales of Phantasia grew tired of Namco's involvement and split off to create their own studio in the middle of development? And then in 2019 the mobile game Star Ocean: Anamnesis featured a crossover event with Tales, bridging the two series after nearly a quarter-century? Anyway this episode is all about the new remake of Star Ocean 2 with special guest Jada Griffen! George Yang is also supposed to be here but the best laid plans of mice and men etc.
Luckily it's still a great discussion about Star Ocean's place in the genre and beyond!
This episode is sponsored by Factor. Head to factormeals.com/axeRPGadventure50 and use promo code axerpgadventure50 for 50% off!
Also in this Episode:
- Thirsty Suitors
- World of Warcraft is prepping for the next 20 years
- USGamer was a really good website!
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intros
04:17 - Main Topic - Star Ocean 2 R
26:00 - Random Encounters
29:04 - The Tavern
59:44 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Gentle Wind - [Baten Kaitos]
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Affinity Love Club - [Soul Hackers]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Darkness falls across the land. The midnight hour is close at hand."
Uhhhh Persona vibes much?!
The history of RPGs is inextricably tied to horror and it's the perfect time of year talk about the scariest parts of our favourite games, as well as the RPGs that are straight up capital "H" Horror. Bloodborne, Undertale, Vampire: The Masquerade and more on this hair-raisingly scary episode with your terrifying hosts Bat Scale-y, Blah!-dia Axeford, and BEWARE-ic Vamp Hell-en.
Also in this Episode:
- World of Horror
- Slay the Princess
- Class choices for Baldur's Gate III Co-op
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intros
04:17 - Main Topic - Spooky RPGs
46:08 - Random Encounters
48:16 - The Tavern
1:06:34 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Coffin Fetish - [Shadow Hearts]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's Letter Tiiiiime! It's Letter Tiiiime!
It's a very special Mailbag episode this week as Kat, Nadia, and Eric answer questions about everything from cheesecake and boss fights to the very future of this podcast! If you want to take part in future mailbag episode,s and get a chance to have your questions answered, check out the Axe of The Blood God Discord by subscribing at patreon.com/bloodgodpod.
Also in this Episode:
- Long Gone Days, Super Mario Wonder, and even more from Baldur's Gate III and Chrono Trigger
- Michael Keaton is great no matter what universe he's in
- Nadia vs Nuns
- Nature is reclaiming Kat's childhood
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intros
56:08 - Random Encounters
58:00 - The Tavern
1:35:44 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
The Grand Duchy of Jeuno - [Final Fantasy XI]
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More like Acquisition Blizzard, heh. If you want a guest who can explain the ins-and-outs of the business side of this colossal consolidation of industry titans while also explaining why it's relevant to the culture and future of RPGs, you can't find anyone better than the one and only Reb Valentine. Listen as Kat, Nadia, and Reb discuss exactly what this means and how it will effect us all going forward, for better or worse. And maybe Kat is sort of kinda starting to enjoy some parts of Starfield?
Also in this Episode:
- Call of Duty yaoi
- PS5 Slim
- Our unslakable thirst for expanded universes and endless IP churn is merely an extension of our fear of death
- In Stars and Time seems cool!
- Nadia has played Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth!
Timestamps:
02:00 - Intros
49:44 - Random Encounters
1:02:40 - The Tavern
1:35:44 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Gentle Wind - [Baten Kaitos]
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Cosmo Canyon - [Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]
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Everything has been leading to this. Through the battles, the story beats, and the very very attractive party members, it's time to wrap up the conversation on what may end up being the biggest "game", let alone RPG, of 2023, Baldur's Gate III. Kat has wrapped up her 100+ hour journey and the gang has plenty to say about their personal experiences.
Spoiler Warning: Mango(?)
Also in this Episode:
- Nadia has myriad difficulties with animals
- To save-scum or not to save-scum
- River Dancing through Thordan Unreal
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty also exists!
- More Chrono Trigger Report
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intros
51:20 - Baldur's Gate Talk Ends, Random Encounters Begin
55:12 - The Tavern
1:21:50 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Chaotic Dance - [Baten Kaitos]
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Before NieR's depressing side quests, Quintet was giving kids lessons about the uncaring neutrality of the universe back in the 90s! Journey through the morally-grey, bleak worlds of Quintet and its adorable 16-bit veneer with host Nadia Oxford and special guests Anthony John Agnello and Scott White! Terranigma, Illusion of Gaia, ActRaiser, Soul Blazer and more in this retrospective deep dive!
Also in this Episode:
- Sad goats
- The only podcast that has ever talked about Robotrek
- Mysterious disappearances
- Listen real close and you can hear Victor (your old pal from the edit bay) getting more and more frustrated no one is talking about Quintet's best game, Planet Laika
Timestamps:
00:48 - Intros
1:03:12 - The Tavern
1:13:28 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Light and Darkness - [Terranigma]
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We're back in Night City jacking into the firewalls of cyber-brains and scrapping digi-cops or whatever with the new Phantom Liberty expansion! Is this Cyberpunk 2077's redemption arc or would you be better off watching a holo-prog in your cogni-puter? I have no idea what terms they use for things in Cyberpunk but I feel like I must be pretty close. I'm sure there's a drug called like, FRAG or something. Anyway, special guest Michael Higham returns to talk with Eric and Nadia about all that and more!
Also in this Episode:
- Unity keeps falling down stairs
- Microsoft sprung a leak
- Where is P stored?
- Chrono Trigger Update!
Timestamps:
02:16 - Intros
05:36 - Main Topic
56:56 - Random Encounters
1:04:16 - The Tavern
1:29:52 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Gentle Wind - [Baten Kaitos]
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
My Blue Sky - [Sakura Wars]
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The past week's one-two punch from Nintendo and Sony have us floored by a panoply of RPG announcements and reveals. How will we recover? As we lay there in a stupor all we can do is reflect on the choices that got us here. Someday we'll redouble our efforts and re-enter the fray. But for now, in the interim, we can do naught but ice our wounds and talk for an hour-and-a-half about the incredible games on the horizon. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Unicorn Overlord, SaGa Emerald Beyond, and Eiyuden Chronicle just to name a few!
Also in this Episode:
- If it isn't Paper Mario, you old dog, you. How long has it been? Feels like a Thousand Years!
- Star Ocean: Second Story R. The 'R' stands for 'Really Good So Far'!
- Unity did a big oops
- Starfield, Kat has some notes
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intros
07:20 - Main Topic
27:44 - FF7 Spoiler Warning
44:00 - FF7 Discussion Ends
45:36 - Random Encounters
58:32 - The Tavern
1:30:00 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Town of Good Harvest - [Baten Kaitos II]
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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bloodgod and get on your way to being your best self.
Finally, a throwback RPG inspired by classics like Chrono Trigger! But perhaps Sea of Stars is hiding something truly special? No spoilers this episode but prepare to have your interest piqued by this very special little homage to the JRPG golden age full of twists and turns. Kat, Nadia, and Eric are joined by special guest Brenden Groom of the Pass the Controller podcast to discuss this hidden gem!
Also in this Episode:
- The crew finds more opportunities to throw Golden Sun under the bus!
- I want shorter RPGs with worse graphics and I'm NOT kidding
- The Joy of Fishing
- Eric's Chrono Trigger Report
- Kat's Starfield Report
Timestamps:
02:08 - Intros
07:20 - Main Topic
48:16 - Random Encounters
51:36 - The Tavern
1:27:36 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Gentle Wind - [Baten Kaitos]
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Languishing Mambo - [Sakura Wars]
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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bloodgod and get on your way to being your best self.
It's time to party with special guest Michael Higham as the crew talks about hotly anticipated sci-fi epic Starfield. What works, what doesn't, and do either of those things matter if you're having a nice time in Todd Howardland?
Also in this Episode:
-Get lost in a Sea of Stars
-Maybe Ashoka is good!
-Hey you, reading this. Play Ghost Trick.
-How do you verbally express a backwards 'K'?
Timestamps:
1:03:30 - Random Encounters
1:06:16 - The Tavern
1:30:14 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Relaxing Place - [Eternal Sonata]
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Pirate Island - [Boktai 2]
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Did you know Baldur's Gate is actually based off of a really obscure game called Dungeons and Dragons? And you play it in your head! And it makes you worship the devil! Here to discuss the dungeon mastery of Baldur's Gate 3 with Kat and Eric is special guest Mikel Reparaz of Vidjagame Apocalypse.
Also in this Episode:
-The Art of Save Scumming
-Short King smooching
-More deeply frustrating layoffs
-Kat's EA Rant™
-The end of The Summer of Korra
Timestamps:
41:40 - Random Encounters
44:00 - The Tavern
1:12:57 - Summer of Korra
Music Used in this Episode:
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
Gunmetal Action - [Wild Arms 3]
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Plan ahead for the fall and pick up a new scarf because it's Nadia's time to shine with an episode all about Mega Man's OTHER foray into the world of RPGs, Mega Man X: Command Mission. Timelines get twisted, fan-favourite characters show up and then are never heard from again, and poor X and friends get Randam Hajile'd!
Also in this Episode:
- Nadia and David discuss writing the official Maverick Hunter Field Guide
- Everyone agrees Absolute Zero and Iron Maiden are great designs
- Nadia reflects on her life choices
Timestamps:
56:53 - Random Encounters
1:01:20 - The Tavern
1:11:23 - Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Cheerful Thief Marino - [Mega Man X: Command Mission]
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
Irregular Battle 2 - [Mega Man X: Command Mission]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Trajectory of Battle - [Mega Man X: Command Mission]
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You don't have to go home but you CAN stay here and listen to this pretty fly panel from the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo all about the landmark year for RPGs that was 1998! Pokemon, Baldur's Gate, Ocarina of Time, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Parasite Eve and more! You'll believe in life after love once you listen to the hosts of Axe of the Blood God and Retronauts (the Armageddon and Deep Impact of video game podcasts) tell you all about the important games released that year, the cultural shifts happening underneath it all, and why 1998 is unimpeachable.
Music Used in this Episode:
One Week - [Barenaked Ladies]
Hard Knock Life - [Jay Z]
This Kiss - [Faith Hill]
Somnia Memorias - [Parasite Eve]
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Hot (like, heat dome hot) off the heels of the wildly successful charity livestream and Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest it’s time to talk Baldur’s Gate 3. Eric and special guest Kenneth Shepard are here to spill some preliminary beans. Plus, summer movie talk; two titans of merchandising join forces this summer with heartfelt stories touching on powerful themes to briefly take your mind off the monstrous greed of the people at the top of the industry food chain!
Also in this Episode:
-“We HAVE to stop talking TMNT on AotBG!”
-Aquarium IS a great album
-Serious trash talk
-Nadia’s Fan Fest recap
-Eric’s EVO recap
-Kenneth’s Barbie recap
Timestamps:
15:26 - Main Quest (Baldur’s Gate 3)
56:32 - Random Encounters
57:38 - The Tavern
1:24:48 - Summer of Korra
1:35:23 - Nostalgia Nook
Music Used in this Episode:
Main Theme - [Baldur’s Gate]
Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]
The Legend of Korra Main Theme - [The Legend of Korra]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Dolphin - [PlayOnline Viewer]
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In this week's episode we're joined by Larian Studios director Swen Vincke... very briefly. Unfortunately technical difficulties kept us from going in deep on this particular interview, but we'll have him back soon! In the meantime, special guest Len Hafer has plenty to say about her experience with Baldur's Gate 3 and more.
This episode was part of our special livestream benefiting Trans Lifeline in which we were able to raise more than $12,000! Thank you all so much for your generous support!
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Welcome back to Axe of the Blood God. Kat is not here for this week's episode because she headed out for San Diego Comic Con, a known slaughtering ground where Harry Potter cosplayers will take out your eye with their wands before you can even say "something something Patronus." No fear: Our good friends Ash Parrish and Kenneth Shepard are here to fill in the gap. We're talking all about character creators, from the basic three-choice templates to Baldur Gate 3's dong-and-dumplings slider. (which Kenneth has already lovingly handled.) Do you prefer building a character from the ground-up, or stepping into the boots of an established adventurer? Chime in!
Also in this Episode:
Timestamps:
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It's summertime, playing Zelda in your car, heading to a LAN party, and the night air is filled with wildfire smoke. Welcome to a laid back episode of Axe of the Blood God, where we just chill out and talk about associations between summer and RPGs. That means everything from the RPGs we played during our summer break to the best tropical environments in RPGs past and present. Just remember: The secret to better RPGs is more giant centipede monsters.
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We've got some fellow old people listening to this show (may your tubes of Voltaren be ever on sale), and I think we can all take a little comfort in the fact many of Falcom's RPGs, including the epic The Legend of Heroes saga, are about as old as us. Heroes has had a lot of time to pump out some good storytelling, including the still-celebrated Trails sub-series. But even mighty things come to an end eventually. In this episode we invite Trails fanatic Cam Hawkins to talk about the game that's bringing Sky, Steel, and Crossbell onto one stage and putting a cap on everything: Trails into Reverie. Is it a worthy conclusion to Trails, or does it try a little too hard to cram everyone in and wrap everything up? We talk about Reverie and other Trails matters, including "Where do I even start with this dang series?" (Protip: Really hard to go wrong with Trails in the Sky.)
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It's summer! That means it's time to grab a burger off the grill, fish a cold one out of the cooler, lie back on a Muskoka chair (ask your local Canadian), and talk about the year in RPGs so far. 2023's been disgustingly busy with huge releases like Final Fantasy XVI, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo IV, and so much more. Your time on this planet is finite, so listen and decide which of these billion hour games are worth playing, and which should be punted onto the backlog that God will unfurl at your feet when it's time for your soul to be judged.
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After what seems like forever and a day, Final Fantasy XVI has finally arrived on the PlayStation 5. Except, it hasn't really been forever, has it? Game director Naoki Yoshida runs a tight ship, to be sure--but will a timely release be enough to make Final Fantasy fans fall in love with the series' first serious attempt at telling a story with Witcher levels of grit and grime? Friend of the show and VG247 writer Alex Donaldson is here to talk to us about this much-anticipated game of thrones (and Chocobos).
Also in this episode:
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I, Nadia, take over hosting duties on Axe of the Blood God this week, which is apropos for an episode that's about Satan. That's right, we review the long-awaited Diablo IV with our very good friend and frequent Blood God guest, Len. There's a lot riding on Diablo IV, as Activision Blizzard is currently weighed down by troubled times that are largely of their own making. How does it play? How's the story? How does Act-Bliz's fascination with "always online!" sit with Diablo IV's dark, gothic feel? Is the Druid class the best? (Yes.) Stay awhile and listen.
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On a very special episode of Axe of the Blood God ("special" meaning "very off schedule"), Kat, Nadia, and Eric talk about everything they saw at Prince Geoffry's Summer Game Fest 2023. Kat and Eric actually attended the show, so they have amazing insight about the games on display--especially the RPGs. And oh, were there ever a lot of RPGs. That Xbox deluge is late, sure, but rest assured it's on its way. And it's bringing Starfield with it.
Also in this episode:
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The summer is getting started, and we've got no shortage of games ahead. But before we look at all the games waiting to steal our time, we've got speedrunner Moonblazewolf, fresh off their run of Chained Echoes at SGDQ 2023! We talk all that plus the news of the day and the start of Book 2 in our Summer of Korra.
Also in this episode:
Timestamps:
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Howdy, friends! We've got a treat that'll make y'all happier than a fox in a henhouse! This week, we have an in-depth discussion about Octopath Traveler II, an excellent choice from our $100 Patron and special guest, The Black Stones! The talk avoids major story spoilers, but there's still tons to go over because Octopath Traveler II is a pretty special game. Its battle system is unique and highly engaging, its music is to die for, and its story is masterfully written and seamlessly interwoven into the game's mechanics. Shucks, I guarantee this episode'll have you eatin' better than a sow in an apple field!
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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think Ocarina of Time is a big game, but that's just peanuts compared to Tears of the Kingdom. That's why Kat, Nadia, and Eric are assembling once again to talk about their progress in Nintendo's Dodongo-sized hit. The discussion yields some minor spoilers (as well as childlike enthusiasm), but they're minor. Turns out playing Tears of the Kingdom for a solid week hardly makes a dent in this veritable wall of content.
Also in this Episode:
Time Stamps:
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Kick back and relax as Field Studies returns for a guided audio commentary track through fan-favourite Shadowbringers dungeon, The Twinning. Sharlayan Dropouts host Victor Hunter takes you through the history of the Crystal Tower, the cascading effect that delays in the mid-2000s had on Square that are still being felt today, and the crystalline metaphor at the heart of this tragic-but-hopeful tale.
Spoiler level: Yellow. The Twinning quest is available at the conclusion of Shadowbringers.
Music:
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Gosh, it feels like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will never get here. This wait is torture–hold on, you're saying Tears of the Kingdom is out now? Oh wow. Holy crap. Uh…let's start talking about the biggest game of 2023! (So far.) We brought in Tom Marks from IGN, who reviewed the game alongside Polygon's Mike Mahardy. We have a pile of discourse about what Tears of the Kingdom does differently from its direct predecessor, Breath of the Wild, as well as what it does better…and worse. (Gasp!) Our talk is spoiler-free, so jump right in like a half-naked blonde guy leaping down into Hyrule from an impossible height.
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All aboard, gatcha sickos. Honkai: Star Rail is now available to download. It's totally free, just like miHoYo's preceding game, Genshin Impact, but you can bet the awesome-looking characters in the banner events will wear your resolve down to a nub. But there's more to Star Rail than gatcha, right? After all, it's a full-bodied RPG with hours of content. Does it actually feel like a traditional turn-based adventure, or is strangled by its own sales pitch? We talk about Honkai: Star Rail's launch and beyond with avowed Genshin fan, Good Vibes Gaming's Daniel Alba.
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Hey Microsoft! How's that Activision Blizzard deal coming along? …Oh. That bad, huh? Well, we're sure everything will be fine.
Psst. That's a lie, dear listeners. We actually brought Polygon's own Nicole Carpenter to discuss the myriad ways this gargantuan acquisition attempt is going poorly for the Big M. And whatever's bad for Microsoft is probably bad for a lot of western RPG studios.
Buck up. It's not all doom and gloom. We also talk about:
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It's another Class Conscious episode of Axe of the Blood God, and we're going after the class that was elected "Most Likely to Steal your Heart and your Wallet" in high school: the Thief. Thieves have been part of the RPG landscape forever. These lithe, sticky-fingered tricksters excel at jacking stuff from enemies (and innocents) while avoiding traps and setting down a few of their own. Gosh, what a scummy bunch, right? Not exactly. Thieves do their secret work for myriad reasons, with myriad methods. We talk about all of it (along with special guest Lucas White), from the boomerang-flinging thieves of Dragon Quest to Final Fantasy VI's roguish Locke Cole, who is totally not thinking about Rachel right now.
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Once upon a time, Microsoft opened up its mouth and swallowed the near entirety of the western RPG market. Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Fable--their home is on the Xbox now. That's great, but we have to ask: Where are all these RPGs that are supposed to be dropping from your well-stocked loins, Microsoft? Starfield is finally secured for a release this year, yes, but we don't have much information on what's supposed to follow. Is the dream corroding from the inside? Kat, Nadia, and Eric talk all about what's going wrong with the Xbox Series X/S's RPG scene, and how it might be patched up.
Also in this episode:
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We're taking a breather this week, but fret not: for those who couldn't make it to our panel at PAX East 2023, this week we're uploading the audio from it! Kat, Nadia, and Eric were joined by friends of the show Michael Higham and Scott White to host a fantasy draft, making the perfect RPG in the process. We touch on many topics, including:
All that and more in our special panel episode. A huge thanks to everyone who came out in person, and we hope to host even more in the future!
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Ding, dong, E3 is dead. Which E3? We don't know. The once world-famous video game trade show has endured so many trials and tribulations, it's hard to way which iteration is getting axed. Let's just say E3 2023 was supposed to be the show's big comeback, and it's getting cancelled instead. Kat, Nadia, Eric, and Reb are all E3 veterans, so they find lots to chew over here. What hobbled this year's show? What's next for the E3 brand, if anything? Which RPGs were bolstered by E3 hype back in the olden days?
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Kat, Eric, and Nadia are all together in the same room for PAX East! There they share their adventures through PAX East and GDC, their thoughts on the Diablo 4 beta, and much more.
Also in this episode
Unfortunately, no post show this week owing to lack of a stream and being on the road. We'll be off next week, but we'll be posting the panel audio along with plenty more content to come.
Want merch? Check us out at shop.bloodgodpod.com.
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Nadia, Kat, and Eric bid sayonara to the best RPGs on the Nintendo 3DS and the [snide snicker] Wii U. Nintendo is yanking the plug on the 3DS and Wii U digital storefronts very soon, but there's still time to thumb through some must-buy recommendations. Radiant Historia! Persona Q! SMT IV and Strange Journey Redux! Maybe they'll end up on the Switch somewhere down the road, but there's no way of knowing. Best to gorge yourself now while the kitchen door's still open.
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Axe of the Blood God has now officially hit 400 episodes, and what better way to celebrate than return to the root of it all and ask: just what is an RPG? Kat, Nadia, and Eric are joined by The CRPG Book editor Felipe Pepe to discuss what makes a virtual role-playing game different from all the others. Other topics include:
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Why do they call it "FINAL Fantasy" when there are sixteen--oh God please put the serrated knives away, I'm just joking. This week, we invited Verge's Ash Parrish and freelance writer/regular guest Michael Higham to talk about their hands-on impressions of Final Fantasy XVI alongside our own Eric. How does it look? How does it play? How does it sound? And what about Producer Naoki Yoshida's controversial remarks about the term "JRPG?" We waddle right into it all, like a herd of Chocobos into a mud pit.
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All of life's paths intersect and intertwine, so it was inevitable the Axe of the Blood God would walk down Octopath Traveler 2's twisted roads. This week we're joined by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, who was less than enthused about the original Octopath Traveler. How does its sequel fare? Let's just say a game studio can learn a lot in five years.
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Axe of the Blood God listeners often come to us for RPG recommendations, and we're happy to oblige (with help from our good friend Rebekah Valentine). We're especially happy when said recommendations are specific, even weirdly so. We'll admit up front that we sadly don't have a suggestion for anyone who likes RPGs featuring naked elves throwing Cool Whip at dragons, because we live in a stifled world. Need a PokeClone recommendation that you won't bounce from, though? We got you covered. Unlike the naked elf in our dream game.
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February is truly when the northern hemisphere gets winter-weary, so hurrah on Nintendo for lighting our lives with another Nintendo Direct presentation. And what an unexpected presentation it was. While we knew we were going to get another trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, we also got some real surprises in the mix. An Etrian Odyssey HD collection? A new Fantasy Life?? Game Boy games, Game Boy Colour games and Game Boy Advance games??? A veritable well of retro RPG goodness is now open for business. Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss it all.
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It’s the battle of the babes this month on Sharlayan Dropouts as we go wall-to-wall to figure out which hotties buff our hosts to max potency. That’s right, we’re ranking the Top 12 stone foxes, the veritable mamacitas, of Final Fantasy XIV. Listen as Victor Hunter, Nadia Oxford, Mike Williams, and Eric Van Allen tell on themselves for your enjoyment. Find out if your favs made the list! And if they didn’t, head on over to patreon.com/bloodgodpod to get Discord access and yell at us about it there!
Spoiler Level Orange: This is a scattershot discussion that touches upon a few elements from a several different storylines including Endwalker 6.3 and Save the Queen, though light on actual detail and context.
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Madness? This...is...no, no, I'm not going to finish this. Drag me, I deserve it. Just make sure to eviscerate me while listening to our awesome conversation with Robert Boyd, the maker of This Way Madness Lies. Do you like Shakespeare? Do you like PC Engine Magical Girl RPGs? Do you like Little Shop of Horrors references? This Way Madness Lies might just be your digital soulmate.
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When you think of the "RPG Golden Age," what comes to mind? The SNES, certainly--who can deny the brilliance of Chrono Trigger? (Except for Eric Van Allen, who has been banished to the Naughty Step to think about what he said.) But what if we're living in the Golden Age of RPGs right here and right now? Between the Switch and PS4, RPG fans are feasting like never before. Special guest and valued Patron The Black Stones joins us this week as we weigh up both eras.
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Eric had to shoulder the entirety of the show last week because Kat went skiing and Nadia had the audacity to catch COVID, but the gang is well and truly back together this week! Writer and WaPo editor Alyse Stanley joins the crew to talk about Fire Emblem Engage, a.k.a Aquafresh Teen Dragon Force. Just kidding. The Blood God loves the toothpaste hero, and we love Fire Emblem Engage in general. How much? Plug this week's show into your ears and find out.
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Put on your Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts because it’s tourist season in Eorzea! In this episode of Sharlayan Dropouts we’re taking you on a guided tour. Either listen as a standalone episode or follow along in-game for the Ultimate Immersive Gameplay X-perience!™ This month we’re looking at the tragic history of The Lost City of Amdapor and the brain fungus, abstract liminal spaces, and fun facts about the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that await us there.
Spoiler Level Green: Assuming you’ve made it the point where you can enter The Lost City of Amdapor (lvl 50) then you have nothing to fear but toxoplasmosis.
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Not a single person is ready for 2023, but guess what! It's happening anyway! Time is kind of a dick like that. So Kat, Nadia, and Eric just steel themselves this week and take the full-bodied plunge back into work. That's why this week's episode is refreshing, but there's also a small chance it'll stop your heart. This week's main topic of discussion comes from one of the Blood God's most devout $50 Patreon tier disciples, Knot Hollow, who wants to know what the next decade of RPGs will look like. Well, the Blood God crew has takes, guesses, and ideas. More games like Disco Elysium? Perhaps. More games like Genshin Impact? Maybe. How about Elden Ring? Almost certainly. Come back in a decade for the opportunity to point and laugh about how wrong Kat, Nadia, and Eric were.
Also in this episode:
Very special thanks to Knot Hollow for their support, and for the support of all the Blood God faithful out there!
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Hello and welcome to Year 3 of the Axe of the Blood God! It's going to be an absolutely massive year for RPGs, and that means big things for the podcast. Here's just some of what we have planned as we move through 2023:
An expansion to Youtube! We had a lot of success with our live show in 2022, and we'd love to expand that video component where possible. Expect more updates on this soon!
Merch! We're working on a new store and a host of merch to go in it! We expect this to go live in February.
The Pantheon Revisit! We'll be revisiting some of our most controversial Pantheon entries (and exclusions) from the first two years of the podcast to start 2023. It'll all culminate in a Pantheon revisit that will potentially see some RPGs make it in while others are removed. It should be chaotic!
Axe of the Blood God Episode 400! Wow, it's almost here!
PAX East panel! We're going to be at PAX East in March! Stay tuned for more info!
Spring of Korra! We'll be diving into our watch of Legend of Korra just as soon as we finish off Winter of Wick!
March Madness, charity streams, D&D, Sharlayan Dropouts, and more! Naturally you can expect all of our usual content, including a charity stream, another D&D episode, a March Madness bracket centered around western RPGs, and more!
That's on top of all of our usual coverage in what should be a very busy year for RPGs. From Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to Starfield to Baldur's Gate 3, we're going to have tons to discuss in 2023!
Thank you as always for your generous support, and we look forward to another great year of podcasting on Axe of the Blood God!
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Happy New Year! 2023's launch also marks the launch of new RPGs. Like, lots of RPGs. This is going to be a busy, busy year. Kat, Nadia, and Eric go over their most anticipated titles for the upcoming 365 days, and also take a few stabs at industry predictions. Take score while you listen, then throw every wrong prediction back in the team's face when the year comes to a close! It'll be fun! More fun than scrabbling around for edible rat bits, or whatever else waits for us this year.
Thank you for your continued support of Axe of the Blood God! When it all goes downhill, you'll be the first ones we share our edible rat bits with.
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The year is coming to a close, and so we're looking back on all the role-playing games 2022 delivered. Kat, Nadia, and Eric are joined by the Sharlayan Dropouts Mike and Victor to help break down all the happenings in the RPG world this year, including:
All this and more, including one last holiday Nostalgia Nook/Pit. We hope all our listeners and backers are having a wonderful holiday time, and we'll see you soon in the new year for a fresh batch of RPG goodness.
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Kat has returned to the Axe of the Blood God, and all she got was a nasty cough. Well, that and memories that'll last a lifetime, or something like that. She's come back home just in time to enjoy a very chill episode of the show, which delves into reader mail. In other words…it's letter tiiime, it's letter tiiime! Kick back and listen as Kat, Nadia, and Eric answer questions about games they initially loved, then cooled down on (and vice versa), which games they regret not playing in 2022, what they're looking forward to in 2023, and lots more.
Also in this episode:
In the Post Show
The gang continues to chill as they discuss the movies Kat watched on the plane on her way home from Amsterdam. The discussion quickly slides into all-out movie discourse, which means a hot takes about Pixar movies and Christopher Nolan. God bless us, everyone.
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Fans of Ivalice, the history of visual novels, and the works of Jean-Luc Godard might just find something to sink their teeth into this episode. Victor explores the many twists and turns in the surprisingly robust history behind Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’s Summoner weapon, The Veil of Wiyu in this first episode of a recurring series that aims to shed light on the real-world inspirations behind the weaponry of Final Fantasy XIV. If you want to see more dedicated episodes like this be sure to let us know at @SharlayanPod or @BloodGodPod on Twitter or on the official Axe of the Blood God Discord server available to $1 subscribers at patreon.com/bloodgodpod.
SPOILER LEVEL GREEN: Not a spoiler to be seen. A few references to some contextless plot details for various games in the series but nothing to keep you from enjoying this episode regardless of where you are in your journey.Music:
Sources:
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, friend of the pod Len joins Kat, Nadia, and Eric as they talk about one of this year's most popular RPG sub-genres: The strategy game. From turn-based to real time, from revision to brand-new IP, there was a lot going on with the strategy genre this year. And, uh, there still is! The year's not quite over! How does one find the time and money to love them all?
Also in this episode:
POST SHOW
Len joins the Axe of the Blood God's weekly ride into hell via the post show. There's a hodgepodge of discourse this week, including "Hangovers suck," and how each of us would fix the Game Awards. Half the awards are currently belted out in the thirty seconds a nominated developer might theoretically get up to use the can, so maybe putting a stop to that kind of thing is a first step.
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For the June 2021 edition of Pantheon of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric take a deep dive into the first game of the Mass Effect series! They trace its origins as the follow-up to Knights of the Old Republic, delve into its soundtrack, and pick its five best moments. Then comes the big conversation: Is Mass Effect worthy of inclusion in the Pantheon of the Blood God?
Pantheon of the Blood God is a series devoted to diving into the very best RPGs of all time. You can find full catalog on our Patreon at https://patreon.com/bloodgodpod or on our website at https://bloodgodpod.com/series/pantheon-of-the-blood-god/!
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Hop on the airship back to your hometown and listen to your favourite Final Fantasy XIV podcast, now on the free feed! The Dropouts bring a very special guest to family dinner, author of Fight, Magic, Items, Aidan Moher, to discuss the impact FFXIV has had on the JRPG and MMO genres over the years. Plus it’s the first annual Holiday Gift Guide; our hosts give you the perfect gift ideas at any budget for the FFXIV fan in your life. And stick around for a very special segment that will no doubt be a recurring fan-favourite for years to come…
SPOILER LEVEL GREEN: Rest easy, slowpokes, there’s not a spoiler to be found for malms. A perfect episode to jump into regardless of where you’re at in your journey!
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, IGN's Rebekah Valentine joins Kat, Nadia, and Eric as they step into Pokemon Heaven courtesy of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Wait a second. Maybe it's more like Pokemon Hell, since Scarlet and Violet are, uh, really buggy. Do the glitches, bugs, and body horror put a damper on what's otherwise the most ambitious and compelling Pokemon game to date? Well, no, but also yes.
Also in this episode:
POST SHOW
Kat is forced to bail early on this week's post show. This is a good thing, as Nadia, Eric, and Reb immediately load up a random Pokemon generator and declare which Pokemon are good eating, and which are best not consumed. That means Kat's soul still has a chance to ascend to heaven, whereas the rest of the crew already has reserved seating in the pits of Gehenna. Available to the Stars of Destiny tier and above!
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Digital Foundry's John Linneman joins Kat, Nadia, and Eric for a detailed discussion about Star Ocean: The Divine Force. It's been a Canis Major's age since Square Enix did anything with Star Ocean, and the Blood God crew is ashamedly not up-to-date on the series. That's why John is here. (Also, it's because he's cool). Is the new game everything Star Ocean fans have been waiting for? Find out.
Also in this episode:
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric lose themselves to chaos. The smash launch of Marvel Snap dang near caused something to snap in their brains, it seems. Or maybe they're just jumpy because Twitter—a major source of networking and promotion for countless writers and pocasters (ahem)—is now Satan's own toilet. It's a great show, regardless. Sometimes it's healthy to just sit back and see where the toboggan ride takes you.
Also in this episode:
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This week on the Axe of the Blood God RPG podcast, Kat and Nadia have both gone out for cigarettes, which means that Eric is in charge. Our boy keeps his head on his shoulders and invites Mike Williams of Sharlayan Dropouts to talk about our next Class Conscious entry: Monks! You know, those fellows what pummel things with their fists and suplex trains. They're joined by martial artist Danielle Riendeau, who has good advice for all you baby monks who're just starting your training: The pavement always wins.
Also in this episode:
POST SHOW
Eric, Mike, and the Stars of Destiny throw down in the chat over a brand-new tier list: The Top Halloween Candies of All Time. It gets hot, folks. Hotter than a tamale. But only Canadian kids know the pain of getting Molasses Kisses by the handful. Who even likes those? They keep coming back. Smells like witchcraft.
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To honor the legacy of Rieko Kodama, who passed earlier this year, we are releasing this episode for free to all listeners.
For the August 2021 edition of Pantheon of the Blood God, Kat and Nadia are joined by Shane Bettenhausen for an exploration of one of Sega's seminal RPGs -- Phantasy Star! The trio discuss the rough early days of the Sega Master System, how the team with Sega greats Rieko Kodama and Yuji Naka came together, and how it differed from other RPGs in the 1980s. They also delve into its five best moments, from the lavish opening to the battle with Dark Falz. Then the verdict: Is Phantasy Star worthy of inclusion in the Pantheon of the Blood God? Listen and find out! As always, a sincere thanks to our $10 and above Patrons for your support! Every month we pick a new RPG for the Pantheon, which is voted on by the community. Join the Discord and jump into our Monthly Game Club conversation!
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The weather is truly colorful and crisp — provided you live in the northern hemisphere and aren't currently in the grip of a climate change-fueled heatwave. Either way, it's a good time to stay indoors and play the piles of RPGs that are currently available, including DioField Chronicles, Mario + Rabbids, Valkyrie Elysium, Persona 5 Royal, Nier Automata, and Trails from Zero. You could also go outside, but you might, like, see a bug or something. Ew.
This week, Kat, Nadia, and Eric are joined by a very special writer friend, Scott White. Scott helps fill in the gang on some of the more important RPGs that have recently landed, including the excellent Trails from Zero, and the reasons why it's a great entry point for the Trails series.
Also in this episode:
In the Post Show
Blood God pal Scott White sticks around for this week's Axe of the Blood God post-show, which is piled with morsels of great RPG talk. For starters, can anyone out there think of a Christmas-themed RPG? Anyone? Bueller? Also, Eric talks Texas. Yee haw, and etcetera! Available exclusively to members on the Stars of Destiny tier!
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Following the release of Action Button's new review of Boku no Natsuyasumi, we welcome Tim Rogers to talk about this PS1 classic, which has plenty of connections to modern RPGs like Persona 5. Naturally, the conversation spreads out to hit many different topics within the realm of RPGs, including:
This episode is currently available exclusively to our Patrons! You can find conversation timestamps below.
Timestamps 0:00: Intro 11:00: Boku no Natsuyasumi and Taco Tico
23:55: The connections between Boku no Natsuyasumi and Earthbound
28:30: Rats, racoons and possums
38:50: Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Kingdom Hearts, and old developers
1:00:00: The PS1 is the best console ever
1:10:00: Sony's quest to make its own Dragon Quest
1:17:00: Reminiscing about Japan and Saizeriya
1:25:25: Dragon Quest and Mad Catz
1:34:50: Cyberpunk and Mighty Ducks
1:39:10: Who is the successor to Yuji Horii?
148:55: LA Noire and why games should be structured like a TV show
1:59:00: Outro
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War is hell. Unless you're talking about Valkyria Chronicles, the much-celebrated tactics RPG by Sega. See, war is still hell in Valkyria Chronicles, but it's also very pretty and fun to play. This week, very special guest and valued Blood God Patreon contributor Vivicomplex joins Kat, Nadia, and Eric to talk about World War Anime. Protip: Just send your scouts to the front line. Ain't nbodoy getting through those rifle-toting maniacs.
Also in this episode:
In the Post Show
Vivi sticks around after a spirited episode of Axe of the Blood God (aren't they all) to talk a bit more about what made her fall in love with Valkyria Chronicles in the first place. The gang also talks about how their Pokemon Black and White Pantheon playthroughs are going, and there's even a bit of talk about the band PUP. Wooo oooo ooooo, ooo oooo! Available exclusively to subscribers in our Stars of Destiny tier!
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric talk about CD Projekt Red's (overly?) optimistic road map for the future of Cyberpunk 2077 and the Witcher series. Looks like CD Projekt is working hard to repair Cyberpunk's tarnished reputation in addition to making new games set in worlds that lack indoor plumbing. It's a long and winding road that's sure to be full of challenges, and we salute CD Projekt for assuming we're still going to be here in a decade. Always look on the bright side of life!
Also in this episode:
POST SHOW
Hey, Paisanos! Nadia and Eric talk about the new Super Mario Bros. movie trailer. Seems this movie might be fun and charming after all, even if Chris Pratt's flat-tire voice still isn't a great choice for everyone's favorite feisty plumber. Eh, I think we're all in agreement that Jack Black's Bowser is going to carry the movie, anyway. Available exclusively to subscribers in our Stars of Destiny tier!
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CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 is currently experiencing something of a redemption arc. Does the (hugely) troubled RPG necessarily deserve said arc, though? Well…yes, but also no. This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric invite Normandy FM's Kenneth Shepard for a chat about the state of Cyberpunk 2077, as well as what the future holds for the game—and for CD Projekt Red.
Also in this episode:
Forget Cyberpunk. It is all about Cybertwunk now.
POST SHOW
Cyberpunk 2077's recent renaissance is owed to Cyberpunk Edgerunners, a Netflix series based on CD Projekt's RPG. Eric and special guest Kenneth Shepard talk about what makes the series good enough to bolster its troubled source material. Predictably, all semblance of civilized discussion unravels about midway through the discussion and everyone just yells at each other about Star Wars for the rest of the post show's run time. Available to listeners in the Stars of Destiny tier!
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For this week's episode we're joined by the very talented folks behind 99 Potions, Fantbyte's dedicated RPG podcast that was unfairly cut short by the site's recent layoffs. In solidarity with our fellow creators, we invited Nere, Michael Higham, Andrea Shearon, John Warren, and Natalie Flores on the show to pour one out for a great website, talk about what they've been playing, and delve into some of their problematic favorite characters. Also in this episode:
Time Stamps
0:00 - 07:00: Intros and housekeeping
7:00 - 1:00:00: What we've been playing 1:00:00: Random Encounters 1:03:00: Problematic Faves 1:35:00: Autumn of Avatar, Book 1 Finale 1:50:00 - Pouring one for Fanbyte + Outro
In the Post Show
Nere, Michael, and Andrea stick around with Eric to talk about their favorite alcohol, discuss the reaction to unfinished assets from the GTA Mega Leak, and much more. This segment is available exclusively to our Stars of Destiny Patrons!
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This week on the Axe of the Blood God RPG podcast, Kat is out and Nadia learns one more time that it's really just that easy to take an inherently chaotic podcast and make it twice as dizzying. Friend of the show (and Nadia's former employer in the long ago and far away) Anthony John Agnello stops by for a visit and talks all about the huge RPG news deluge that occurred with last week's Nintendo Direct. A new Final Fantasy Theatrhythm game! A new Fire Emblem game! A name for the Breath of the Wild sequel! Farming! Farming! Farming!
Also in this episode:
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This week, Axe of the Blood God tackles the 2022 fall RPG preview—which feels like a nutty thing to say, since summer only started yesterday. Right? Right…?
Oh.
Thankfully, RPGs help take away the sting of passing time for a little while. And it so happens the last quarter of 2022 is loaded with some bangers. Persona 5 for Nintendo Switch! Tactics Ogre Reborn! Valkyrie Elysium! Not to mention a couple of small indie games called Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. What a way to end the year that gave us Elden Ring and Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
Also in this episode:
Handy-dandy timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
5:08 - What we're playing
40:04 - Random encounters
44:56 - Main topic: The fall RPG preview
1:12:17 - Autumn of Avatar
1:35:15 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook
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The fall season is upon us, and more fantasy shows than you can shake a wizard's staff at are popping up! Since RPGs and fantasy have a fair bit to do with one another, we brought on IGN's Alex Stedman to chat about House of the Dragon, The Rings of Power, how RPGs and fantasy tales intersect, and kick off our Autumn of the Avatar!
All that, plus:
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It's a slim week at the Blood God, so we dipped into our rainy day bucket of topics to discuss Sony's first-party games. Does it need more first-party offerings, or should it stick to its third-party deals? We discuss all that and more, including:
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric have a (digital) devil of a time talking about Soul Hackers 2. They're joined by Fanbyte.com superstars Michael Higham and Diego Argüello, who both have plenty to say about this strange game. It appears Soul Hackers 2 strives to land somewhere between the dark, complex Shin Megami Tensei games, and the character-driven Persona titles. Does Soul Hackers 2 hit the mark? Or does it just hee-ho off into the sunset, destined to be forgotten?
Also in this episode:
In the Post Show
Michael Higham and Diego Argüello sit in on this week's post show, and the whole thing derails in about six seconds. The conversation bounces from religion to literature to something about furries and the Metaverse. Do not look in the dead, cold eyes of the Zuckerberg Metaverse dollar store Mii; it will swallow your soul. Available to subscribers in the Stars of Destiny tier and above on our Patreon!
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This week on Axe of the Blood God: It's letter tiiime, it's letter tiiime! Kat, Nadia, and Eric answer questions asked by YOU, our grand Blood God listeners! What is the gang's favorite class in Xenoblade Chronicles 3? What new regional forms should appear in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? Is it really that bad for an RPG to clock in at 100+ hours? All these burning questions and tons more get answers this week.
Also in this episode:
In the Post Show
This week on Axe of the Blood God's always-tasteful post show, Kat reveals she's going to Japan next month, and solicits cool things to do while she's in Tokyo. Nadia recalls her time in Shinjuku, and encourages everyone to visit the Dragon Quest cafe and eat a meat dumpling shaped like a Slime. It's the only true path to world peace. The post show is available to our Stars of Destiny Patrons here: https://patreon.com/bloodgodpod
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It's another busy week on Axe of the Blood God. Two hefty topics are packed into one convenient episode: New Pokemon Scarlet and Violet information, on top of the beginning of the Nihon Falcom Developer Quest. Listen in as Kat, Nadia, and Eric talk up the Pokemon of the Paldea region, and try to figure out the whole deal with Terastallized (i.e. rock candy) Pokemon. After that, the gang chats about the beginnings of Nihon Falcom, the studio responsible for a lot of excellent RPGs going way, way back, including the Ys series, the Trails games, and much more.
Also in this episode:
In the Post Show
Kat is forced to bail(ey) early on this week's post-show, so Nadia and Eric have free run of da joint. This week's topic is food, food, food. Barbeque. Brisket. Hungarian goulash. Beets and horseradish. Would you eat gefilte fish? You should try it sometime. Gosh, even writing this stirs up the appetite. Available via Patron: https://patreon.com/bloodgodpod
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, it's time to bask in the Monado's power! Special guest Autumn Wright talks to Kat, Nadia, and Eric about Xenoblade Chronicles 3. How does the third game in this sometimes-bumpy series hold up? How does it compare to the first two Xenoblade Chronicles games, and how do the three of them link up? Does it matter? Should it matter? There's gorgeous scenery, a banging soundtrack, and an intriguing battle system—that much is certain. What more can you ask for when living the Xeno lifestyle?
Also in this episode:
In the Post Show
Autumn joins Kat, Nadia, and Eric for a sophisticated discussion about how fighting game mechanics spill over into other genres, namely RPGs. Also, Nadia's into Street Fighter lore because she has a broken mind. And why didn't Guile Sonic Boom his dog? It would've been pretty funny. Available exclusive to our Stars of Destiny via the Patreon!
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Nadia and Eric are joined by their special friend, Reb Valentine of IGN. Together, they Live A Live, Laugh A Laugh, and Love A Love. That's right: Reb reviewed the long-awaited 2DHD remake of the highly unusual Super Famicom RPG Live, and she's in love to say the least. In fact, Live A Live has seemingly charmed western RPG fans in a way that would have been deemed impossible back in 1995. Who says there's no longer hope for humankind?
Make sure to check out Reb's full review!
Also in this episode:
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What's the secret glue that holds the cast of Chrono Trigger? Why does Final Fantasy 7 feel like it lacks that glue? Will a 13 Sentinels reference pop up? (Heck yes.) All these questions and more are on the table.
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The Axe of the Blood God charity stream is over, and somehow Kat, Nadia, and Eric came out the other side with their limbs and sanity intact. They also came out with $10,000+ raised for Trans Lifeline! That's worth a limb or three.
This week's show has a brief post-mortem of the charity stream before the gang gets down to business: An informed conversation about the Gundam series' endless supply of inspiration for RPGs. What do RPGs, particularly Japanese RPGs owe to the classic anime? In short, just about everything—and not simply cool mech suits.
Also in this episode:
Nadia finished Omori and is left with feelings of warmth and cheeriness The new Genesis Mini is gonna rule!...if you live in Japan No, Nadia didn't drown a kid. He just got a little wet
In the Post Show
Summer of Gundam proceeds apace in this week's post show. The crew talks about the coolest Gundam models across the years, from the most battle-effective to the most edgelord-adjacent. (Hint: This is where Gundam Wing comes in.) Nadia's opinion is basically "robot smash other robot good, he he he." This is recorded live and available to our Stars of Destiny Patrons!
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For the December 2021 edition of Pantheon of the Blood God, Kat and Nadia are joined by Fanbyte's Nerium Strom and Michael Higham for an exploration of Persona 5! During their lengthy discussion, the group discusses just some of the following:
- Its outstanding soundtrack - Its attempt to challenge the status quo in Japanese society - Its remarkable sense of style - Being constantly told to go to bed by a cat
... And much more!
Then the verdict: Is Persona 5 worthy of inclusion in the Pantheon of the Blood God? Listen and find out!
This episode was unlocked for Axe of the Blood God listeners during the recent charity stream benefiting Trans Lifeline! New episodes are released each month for $10 Patrons and above.
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After the (ahem) fallout of our #1 pick for the Top 25 RPGs of All Time, we got together with Khee Hoon Chan and Jay Castello to talk about whether it deserves to be the top-rated RPG of all time. How much does the setting, politics, and sidequests elevate it? And how much do the VATS System and bugs weigh it down? We discuss as part of part of our big 24 hour charity stream in which we were able to raise more than $10,000 for Trans Lifeline! Also in this episode:
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Summer is a time for schmoozing with friends, which is why Axe of the Blood God invited veteran guest Len Hafer to talk about the best video game genre in the whole wide world. (Psst—that means RPGS.) Leana helps the Blood God wrap up the PC RPG Quest with a deep dive into the computer RPGs that shaped the '10s. And oh, what a decade it was. Kickstarter dreams and nightmares! Bioware's troubles! World of Warcraft! The rise of CD Projekt Red! Final Fantasy XIV's fall and resurrection! They don't make drama like this anymore.
Also in this episode:
In the Post Show
Leana joins the gang for the usual hodge-podge of good stuff that the Blood God Crew wrings out of itself at the end of every show. This week, the discussion turns to live-action and/or animated adaptations of video games that we'd like to see. Plus, lots of Summer Games Done Quick discussion… and hey! Nadia got a gaming computer that's worth half a damn! This episode is available exclusively to our Patrons in the Stars of Destiny tier and above!
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, recent political going-ons have the gang physically, mentally, and spiritually taxed. Kat, Nadia, and Eric elect to take it easy and do a mid-year check-in of the RPGs. What are some of our favorite games this year? (Elden Ring might get a mention.) Which RPGs were surprise hits? Which seemed to slip under the radar? Opinions are shared. Also in this episode:
In the Post Show On this week's post show, Kat and Eric descend down an End of Evangelion hole, and Nadia just kind of sits with her gob as wide as a boot because she has no idea what they're talking about. But then the gang answers an important listener question about how they'd build their ideal RPGs. Eric and Nadia have answers that are almost normal, but Kat unleashes a nightmare idea on the masses. For the love of God, don't let her anywhere near RPG Maker.
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat has an intense war flashback to spring 2020. If you don't recall, Final Fantasy 7 Remake absconded with a little bit of her soul, and she's never been quite the same since. Hence why she absolutely goes off on Final Fantasy 7 Remake all over again in this episode. But who can blame her? The ongoing summer of not-E3 continues to drop a whole lot of Final Fantasy 7 news, including an announcement for "Rebirth." It's enough to shatter anyone's mind—arguably the best kind of news worth digging through.
This episode even contains a very special witness to Kat's breakdown: $100 Patron Vivicomplex! Vivi leads the discussion on RPG Maker, the long-lived game construction series that amateur programmers use to make adventures with minimal coding. RPG Maker's legacy and purpose is carried on today through programs like Game Maker Studio, which gave rise to Undertale and countless other RPGs.
Also in this episode:
Weekly Post Show
One show is not enough to contain all the Final Fantasy news — nor is it enough to contain Kat's continued FF7 Remake rant-a-rooney.
Vivicomplex joins the gang again as they talk more about what's going on with this brand-new take on the controversial "Compilation of Final Fantasy 7." Also, Nadia's still making her way through FFX, so expect some complaining about Seymour. The Weekly Post Show is available exclusively to our supporters in the Stars of Destiny tier! Thanks so much for your support! And as always, you can catch us when we record live on Friday at 5pm PT.
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat and Eric are joined by not one, but two Alexes to break down the summer showcases! RPG Site's Alex Donaldson and freelancer Alex J. Kane are here to discuss the Xbox and Bethesda showcase, as well as the whole of Summer Game Fest.
Also in this episode:
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat rejoins Eric and Nadia after her adventure on the high seas. She's a little unsteady on her legs, not to mention lightly brined by sea salt, but that's not about to stop her from talking about everything that's going on this week in RPGs. And a loaded week it is, mateys. We've got impressions of the Final Fantasy XVI trailer, as well as opinions about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's chonky pigs and small olives.
Also in this episode:
On the Post Show
On this week's post-show, Kat tells us about the joys of sailing the high seas–e.g. seasickness and other cool things that happen on the water. There's also a deep discussion about sports, Street Fighter 6, and how awesome Cody is. (So awesome.) The Post Show is available to the Stars of Destiny tier and above!
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat has run off to do sailor junk on the high seas, so Nadia and Eric hold the rig together by themselves. Well, that's not entirely true. Kat joins them from SeaPhone™ to tackle this week's main topic: Why some games were picked for our updated Top 25 RPG list, while others were left to die in shallow puddles of rainwater. This discussion involves a lot of self-flagellation and even more furious denial, so look forward to drama and mayhem. Soap operas wish they had this explosive narrative impact.
Also in this episode:
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It's time at last to share our newly-revised list of the 25 best RPGs of all time! For much of 2022 we've been slowly collecting potential nominees for an update to the list that we made several years ago. Now it's time to share that list for all to see!
To make this list we took the list of nominees plus the original list and made our own Top 25s, with the games that were on all three lists going straight into the Top 25. From there we embraced debate with discussions including:
For your convenience, we've shared time codes below.
Time Codes
4:40: We share our personal Top 25 RPG lists
21:35 - The Initial Cutdown + Wild Card Picks + Listener Poll
36:35: Games That Made At Least Two Lists
140:25: Finalizing the List
2:23:00: Ranking the Games
2:50:20: The Top 25 RPGs Of All Time
Thanks again for joining us in this very fun project! We'll probably be circling back and rebuilding given that there always amazing new RPGs being released. But in the meantime, we're excited to hear your thoughts!
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, the gang takes a step into the fascinating and revolutionary (if jagged and polygonal) world of massive multiplayer online RPGs from the 2000's. Kat, Nadia, and Eric are joined by very special guest Amy Dunham, who worked on some of the most prominent '00s MMORPGs. (And more than a few other games, too!) Tune in as we talk about World of Warcraft, EverQuest, Eve Online, Elder Scrolls Online, and much more. Rest assured, Nadia reps Rangarok Online, too
Also in this episode:
Starfield is delayed, no Starfield for Kat Final Fantasy XIV players are being sent to video game jail for using mods Pokemon Home adds support for Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, and Legends Arceus Eric lords his Steam Deck over the rest of us plebes
On the Post Show:
This week's Axe of the Blood God post show is a godless mess as usual. Master Chief is no longer a virgin, so let's all gather around in a circle, clap, and tell him "Congratulations!" Also, there is a lot of Final Fantasy X discussion. Why don't people on Besaid island eat chocolate cake? Because it's SINfully delicious. Wakka Wakka Wakka! The Post Show and the live recording can be access through the Stars of Destiny tier and above on the Patreon.
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As a special thank you to our listeners for helping us reach $6000 two months in a row, we recently hosted a very special D&D 5e session with special guest DM Shivam Bhatt. Now it's available for everyone to listen! Tune in as our heroes embark on a quest for the Axe of the Blood God; bumble into some orcs; have a really hard time climbing a hill, and say hello to a very special badger named Orlando.
Here are the characters:
Kat plays Kara the Wanderer, a Paladin devoted to Selune the Moonmaiden.
Nadia plays Kalfor, a Red Dragonborn Ranger with motivations of their own (and a cool hat, apparently).
Eric plays Coronach, a Tiefling Warlock with a real Pixie problem.
If you enjoyed the adventure, let us know! It would be fun to do more of these if listeners are interested. Until then, thank you as always for your support and the opportunity to do fun and unique adventures like this one!
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Tired of the same ol' RPGs? Why not try changing your perspective?
This week by Patron request, Nadia, Kat, and Eric talk about isometric RPGs with some help from Leana Hafer of Three Moves Ahead. Topics of isometric discussion include "How good is Tunic?" (Very good.) "Does Dragon Age: Origins count as an isometric RPG?" (Yes.) "Which isometric RPG should Nadia play?" (Disco Elysium, CUNO.) And "How is 2022 looking for the sub-genre?" (Pretty neat!)
Other topics of discussion include:
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Plus, four more picks for our soon-to-close nominations for the Top 25 RPG rankings!
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This week's Axe of the Blood God is simple and clean. Friend of the show and Good Vibes Gaming host Ash Paulsen joins Kat, Nadia, and Eric to talk about Square Enix's surprise Kingdom Hearts 4 announcement. What, exactly, is going on in the game's mystifying trailer? How did Sora get doxxed? What happened to his Ronald McDonald shoes? Why did Goofy and Donald descend into hell to look for Sora instead of assuming he went to Heaven? The discourse is rich and flavorful.
Also in this episode:
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, the PC RPG Quest continues! The gang is joined by their friend Jeff Green, who was at the epicentre of the major shift PC gaming underwent in the 2000's. On the surface, it was a grim time for PC RPGs. MMOs were encroaching on single-player adventures, consoles were eating into the PC RPG space...and what the heck was this "Steam" thing Valve refused to shut up about? Pffft. It'll never catch on. Also in this episode:
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This episode of Axe of the Blood God comes at the end of a discourse-heavy week. E3 is pretty much dead, which spurs Kat, Nadia, and Eric into sharing their best E3 memories (Nadia still has her Witcher press Trapper Keeper).
Moreover, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 has been bumped to spring 2023. Whatever will Nintendo do this holiday season?...Oh, right. Pokemon's coming.
Also in this episode:
We also have a post show available to our Stars of Destiny subscribers! This week we share our Stephen King starting recommendations and talk about being really bad at math. Stars of Destiny and above subscribers also get access to our live recording every Friday at 5pm PT, which is always a party. As always we appreciate your support!
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This week's episode of Axe of the Blood God is utterly bewitching. True, Kat, Nadia, and Eric are enthralling company in every circumstance—but with the recent announcement of (not) Witcher 4, how could they resist talking about what CD Projekt has up its sleeve? The gang talks about the seemingly new direction for this beloved fantasy property, and what it entails for the still-troubled CD Projekt.
Also in this episode:
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This week on the Axe of the Blood God RPG podcast, we're joined by USgamer alumni Mike Williams. Mike tells us all about the adventures he's had with a jolly man named Jack Garland. Jack is the very agreeable protagonist of the very normal, very down to earth Final Fantasy Origins: Stranger of Paradise. Listen to Mike talk about the game; we assure you Jack never uses foul language or flies off into disjointed rants. P.S., today is Opposite Day.
Also in this episode:
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Also in this episode:
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Also on the show:
- Eric becomes Wolverine Jesus - Nadia discovers how to work a Nintendo - Kat gears up for some old-school Pokémon catching - We take a look at the first round of March Madness voting! Links mentioned in the show: - Eric's segment "Piplup Step": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm0nLJuRNbw - Donate to Ukraine: https://www.icrc.org/en/donate/ukraine - Equality Texas: https://www.equalitytexas.org/ - TENT: https://www.transtexas.org/
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There's an excellent chance she'll be back next week, though. Despite what the Peter Pan song tells you, the pirate's life is not for everyone.
Nadia and Eric manage to scrounge together a great show anyway, because it's Elden Ring week! No worries—there are no spoilers on the show, but we did get Isla Hinck from Easy Allies and Jesse Vitelli of PrimaGames to talk about their reviews for this highly anticipated (and critically acclaimed) open world game from FromSoftware.
Also on this episode:
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There are people out there who hang onto news about Nintendo Directs the way a religious person might fervently cling to signs of Jesus' return. Humanity is still waiting on the second coming of the Lord, but Nintendo offered a nice stop-gap last week. The February Nintendo Direct was bursting with incredible RPG news—and some of it was simply bananas. A 2D HD remake of Live A Live? Absolutely nobody had that on their Bingo card. Well, it's doubtful anyone had "Kirby inhales objects bigger than your mom in Kirby and the Forgotten Land" either. To reiterate a point made earlier, it was a strange Direct.
In addition to the Nintendo Direct RPG news, we talk about:
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Also in this episode: - A Realm Reborn struggle is real - We sing some Phantom of the Opera? - Eric craves curling - Nadia recounts crime - New Top 25 entries and the reveal of a new tactic-ful February special!
Enjoy the show? Make sure to subscribe to our Patreon!
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Also in this episode:
- Bloodborne is still great.
- It's time to vote for a new Blood God Pantheon game! Here's why Valkyria Chronicles deserves the vote.
- Since voting for list stuff never goes out of style, we also have new picks for the Top 25 RPGs of All Time Integrade list!
- Eric nearly drove a teacher to insanity with a metronome.
- Nadia got hauled away by the Shakespeare Police.
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We're going back to the '90s again here on Axe of the Blood God, but here's a twist: We're going back to '90s Japan. Yes, it's another PC Console Quest, and we've invited our good friend PC98 Audi back to the show for the occasion. We discuss the PC-98's legacy, and how it affected '90s RPG development. Why did the platform have so many visual novels? What's the deal with, ahem, all those hentai games? We have much wisdom contained here, so stay a while and listen.
Also in this episode:
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We may be in the dead of winter, but Axe of the Blood God is hotter than ever. So sayeth the show's fans, anyway. It's true! No word of a lie! Ahem. This week, Kat, Nadia, and Eric talk about a hodgepodge of lively topics, including:
Weekly episodes are available to both free and premium listeners on Mondays. For lots more bonus content, check out our Patreon: https://patreon.com/bloodgodpod
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New year, new Axe of the Blood God! Our new Stars of Destiny tier has kicked off in earnest, and we had our first live taping of the podcast, followed by a special post-show discussion.
That's right, for 25 smackeroos you can listen to us flub our lines and then get into a fight about Super Mario World vs Super Mario Bros. 3. Very rated R stuff. See, the R stands for "rad."
This week's main show covers a bunch of stuff, including:
- The great indie RPG 2022 preview! Some gorgeous retro-style fare is coming up, like Sea of Stars, SacriFire, and Eiyuden Chronicles Rising.
- We're revisiting the Top 25 RPGs of All Time, and we want you to help us update our selection!
- Square Enix is having NFT FOMO, and the world must suffer for it.
- Eric is now a Final Fantasy XIV sicko. Ha ha…yes! Yessss!
If you weren't able to pop to the post-show, we've got that for you, too. We talk about Sony's drive to produce only "prestige" games, and how that new philosophy will affect RPGs. Then everything breaks down into Super Mario chaos. Mama mia.
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We're already three days into 2022! No refunds on the year, suckers. Don't worry, the Axe of the Blood God will be around to pick you up whenever you need it…and going by recent trends, everyone is going to be due for a pick-me-up somewhere between the first three and six months.
Let's start the year strong with some spicy 2022 RPG predictions! Will we see anything to do with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 this year? Will we enjoy Elden Ring? Will Final Fantasy 16 make it out before year's end? (Funny you should ask…)
Also in this episode:
Here's to '22!
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We've had an amazing 2021, and we're hoping 2022 will be even better! Nadia, Eric, and Kat get together to share their hopes and dreams for the new year along with the following: - Info on a brand new tier!
- Free and premium feeds being synced!
- Upcoming specials!
- And much more!
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric say farewell to 2021 by looking back on the year's greatest RPG triumphs (and a few, er, not-triumphs). 2021 was a bit slim on major triple-A RPG releases, but there's been a great showing from smaller games, including SMT V, Tales of Arise, Monster Hunter Stories 2, Loop Hero, Ys 9, and so very much more.
Oh, and there was also a new expansion for a certain online RPG that shall remain nameless. We can no longer say its name; it's become far too powerful. Please forget about the critically acclaimed MMORPG with the free trial that lets you play through all of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning expansion Heavensward.
Also in this episode:
Kat is now besties with Henry Cavill. We will all miss her as she departs on her glorious new life as a Hollywood groupie. Wait, didn't Elton John write a song about this…?
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To celebrate the end of 2021, we're making a Pantheon of the Blood God available to all of our listeners as a special thank you for all of your support! In this edition of Pantheon of the Blood God, Kat and Nadia are joined by special guest Alex Donaldson to dive deep into Final Fantasy VIII! Once considered the series' black sheep, Final Fantasy VIII is now held in higher regard, but is it worthy of the Pantheon? Kat and Nadia have very different opinions on that front. Regardless, there's much to unpack about Square Enix's flawed masterpiece, and that's exactly what Kat, Nadia, and Alex do as they discuss its rapid development, its curious Junction System, its marvelous soundtrack, and wonderful elements like Triple Triad. Truly, it's far from perfect, but it's one of the most memorable RPGs ever made.
Pantheon of the Blood God is a special monthly series of podcasts in which we take a deep dive into an RPG selected by the AOTBG community. Want to hear more? Check us out on Patreon: https://patreon.com/bloodgodpod
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"Live thy life to the fullest, but knowest thou always that the end walks ever closer." Is that an OK Urianger impersonation? Bah, whatever. Point is, Nadia, Mike, and Victor review Final Fantasy 14's Endwalker expansion in this episode. It's epic, it's guaranteed to move you to tears...and like everything else in this flawed universe, it can use some improvements. Tune your linkshell in!
Spoiler Level: Red. Major spoilers for most of Endwalker's story. I suppose that goes without saying. However, there's very little discussion about the end area and end boss, since Victor's on the last leg of his journey.
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Kat's away this week on Axe of the Blood God, so Nadia takes the reigns, and chaos reins. Wait. Strike that. Reverse it. Thank you.
Eric is on-hand to help co-host, of course, and a very special guest enters the fray: Blood God Discord mod Valexia! The trio have a hearty discussion about LGBTQ+ representation in games, old and new, eastern and western. There's a long way to go, but there's been a lot of progress that's worth celebrating, too.
Also in this episode:
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Turn on Nickelodeon and feed your Tamagotchi, because it's time for the '90s PC RPG Quest here at Axe of the Blood God. John Walker of Buried Treasure joins Kat, Nadia, and Eric as they talk about this very tumultuous time in PC RPG history. The genre underwent enormous growth, but not before it suffered near-irrelevance amid the rise of DOOM and other first-person shooters.
There's a lot to cover, so feel free to fiddle with your Slap Bracelet while the crew talks. Just don't cut open the bracelet's fabric, take out the sharp piece of metal inside, and start hitting people with it. That's how Slap Bracelets get banned from schools. Not speaking from experience or anything, mind you.
Enjoy the PC RPG Quest? Make sure to check out our episodes covering the 1970s and 1980s!
Also in this episode:
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Last week was the Giving of Thanks, and Eric returned to his ancestral home to prepare the necessary sacrifices. That means Kat and Nadia are alone for this episode, just like the good ol' days of... er, maybe a month ago? Point is, this is a very chill episode.
Some of the big topics:
- Is a Chrono Cross remake under development? - Who is an unsung RPG composer? - How excited are we for a Mass Effect TV show?
Also in this episode: Neo The World Ends With You didn't do so hot because Square Enix kind of forgot to market it, and plans for the future of Blood God! A new tier approaches! Command?
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When we last met our Warriors of Light, they were confident they'd be Thal's balls-deep in Endwalker by this point. Fate had other plans in mind, as Endwalker won't be accessible until December 3. Hey, Final Fantasy XIV is a Square Enix RPG. It's never a surprise when the heroes' plans go awry in an RPG.
Besides, the delay freed up some time to let us talk about a topic that kept eluding us: Endwalker story predictions! Hope you're sitting down, because Victor brought notes. What kind of dropout brings notes?!
Spoiler Level: Red. Major spoilers for Shadowbringers and Endwalker. We bust out all biggest story twists and smallest plot tweaks for pretty much the entire episode.
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What, you wanna listen to Axe of the Blood God's very special Shin Megami Tensei 5 episode, guest starring Game Informer's Kim Wallace? Hmmm... gimme one life stone. I'll also take 300 macca and a shitload of your health!
Just kidding -- your friendship is more than enough to get access to our SMT V review. How does it play? What are its strengths? Its weakness? Is it a good entry point for SMT V virgins? Kat, Nadia, Eric, and Kim will fill you in on all the haunting deets.
Also in this episode: We're trying out a brand-new format that (hopefully) makes the show easier to listen to and enjoy! Come for Kat's Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl critique, stay for Nadia's disjointed rant about Simon Belmont from Captain N. Something about a bomber jacket?
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In Part 3 of our complete Cowboy Bebop series ranking, we tackle the Top 10 alongside What a Cartoon's Henry Gilbert! In so doing we tackle some of the following topics: - What's the deal with Julia? - Who had the best arc? - Why does Toys in the Attic rule so much? - What happens when Final Fantasy and John Woo have a delightful anime baby? (It's Ballad of Fallen Angels). This episode is available immediately to our Patrons, and will be available through the free feed next week!
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss how Atlus would really love it if the west got the hang of making demonic pacts. We know Shin Megami Tensei V is out, and we know it's a great game -- but why hasn't the series made much headway into the western market compared to [looks around nervously, bend over and whispers] Persona? Can anything be done to make SMT more appealing to this market?
Also in this episode: Early hands-on impressions of Elden Ring are great, FFXIV: Endwalker is delayed, and Todd Howard laughs himself to sleep on a pile of money flanked by two beautiful ladies because people can't stop buying Skyrim.
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In Part 2 of our complete Cowboy Bebop series ranking, we tackle episodes 16 through 10! In so doing, we hit some of the following topics: - Our personal favorite episodes - How Cowboy Bebop pays tributes to movies from the 60s and 70s - The wildness of Mushroom Samba - Why Gateway Shuffle is one of our sneaky favorites This episode is available immediately to our Patrons, and will be available through the free feed next week. Stay tuned for Part 3 as we jump into the Top 10 next week!
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Well I'll tell you what, that daggum Kat recently got herself in a whole heap of Twitter trouble when she sassed Legend of Dragoon. On this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God, Kat apologizes for her sharp words -- but she also struggles to understand why half the internet is still nostalgic for this underachieving Sony RPG. To that end, Kat, Eric, and Nadia invited YouTuber (and Legend of Dragoon fan) SuperDerekRPG to the show. They have a grand ol' time talking about this (misunderstood?) game, and about retro RPGs in general.
Also in this episode: Shin Megami Tensei V is very good, and open wide because here comes a deluge of Elden Ring information.
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Cowboy Bebop is one of the greatest anime ever made, and with a live-action series headed to Netflix, now is the perfect time to revisit this animated classic! We're joined by What a Cartoon and Talking Simpsons Host Henry Gilbert to rank episodes 24 - 17, where we hit some of the following topics: - How did we get into Cowboy Bebop? - Is Sympathy for the Devil underrated? - How great is VT's cat? - And how do we feel about Gren in the year 2021? This episode is Part 1 of our big ranking of Cowboy Bebop, and it's available to both our Patrons and free listeners right now! Part 2 will be available next week , but paid subscribers can access it immediately!
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric board the Magic School Bus and travel back to the very beginnings of JRPG development. PC98 Audi from Digital Foundry makes a guest appearance to delve deep into the machine that arguably started it all: The humble PC-88. Audi also has tons of history to share about the MSX, and other high-tech '80s stuff that was vital to the early evolution of JRPGs. Frankly, he's the proverbial Miss Frizzle on this trip. Without him, Kat, Nadia, and Eric would probably fall out of the bus and get eaten by a microprocessor.
Also in this episode: Kat's in Super Robot War heaven, we have a trailer for Netflix's adaptation of The Witcher 2, and Square Enix is gonna make you wet with a new Star Ocean game.
["Hey Hey 16k" is by MJ Hibbett and the Validators. Enjoy your earworm]
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Nadia, Kat, and Eric battle ogres with the help of a very special guest, Waah! Yes, our generous $100 Patron finally gets to shine on-stage, and he's picked a very cool topic: Square Enix's half-forgotten Ogre Battle series. This still-beloved string of strategy games was the precursor to Final Fantasy Tactics, and it's a darn shame it doesn't garner the acknowledgement it deserves. We'll fix that, though. Oh, we will definitely fix that.
Also in this episode: Stardew Valley's creator is taking us to the Land of Chocolate, CD Projekt Red has some more delays for us, and the Mass Effect 3 ending controversy has reared its ugly, exhausting head once again.
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Smoke 'em if you got 'em because it's time for a brand-new episode of Sharlayan Dropouts--Axe of the Blood God's cool and fashionable Final Fantasy XIV podcast. This week, Nadia and Mike talk about what it was like to go hands-on with a preview build of the upcoming Endwalker expansion. (Victor, meanwhile, drools in equal parts anticipation and jealousy.) Look forward to a thorough breakdown of some of the new maps, including the Old Sharlayan hub town. Rest assured the rumours about Nadia dealing fogweed in the fifth floor washroom are greatly exaggerated. [Cough.]
Also in this episode: Hironobu Sakaguchi, the father of Final Fantasy, is in deep with Final Fantasy XIV. Very deep. We got 'im, fellahs. Plus, the Moogle Treasure Festival is on again, so prepare for Praetorium memes.
Spoiler Warning Level: Yellow. The content is pretty evenly parsed out in this episode. The first half up to 27:48 is news and discussion about what we've been doing in-game. There are very mild spoilers about A Realm Reborn's final dungeon, and we talk a bit about the games' trailers. From 27:48 on, the episode is almost exclusively spoilers about Endwalker's mechanics, the preview dungeon we played, etc.
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There be dragons and dragon slayers in this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God. Faithful Patron Brian Cowan (thank you!) requested that Nadia, Kat, and Eric wade neck-deep into the fascinating historical muck that is Falcom's Dragon Slayer series. They talk about its origins, the people behind its development, and the reasons why this long-running series is one of the most important contributors to the RPG genre.
Also in this episode: Nadia shares some FFXIV: Endwalker impressions, Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 was saved from the brink of oblivion, and there are no cross-saves in the PC port of Monster Hunter Rise because Capcom loves suffering.
Oh, and Kat and Eric talk about Evangelion Thrice Upon a Time while Nadia plays Pokemon Go. The discussion, which is spoilerish, runs from 49:35 to 58:23.
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Axe of the Blood God gets sPooOoOoky this week as Kat, Nadia, and Eric talk about "creepypasta" RPGs. Creepypasta is a weird term, but you're probably familiar with what it entails: Stories about haunted games that some poor hapless schmuck picked up at a flea market or whatever. Pokemon Lost Silver, BEN DROWNED, that one NES Godzilla cartridge that was filled with weird sprites and music...the list goes on. The trio also discusses RPG story moments that freaked them out. This episode is rated VS for Very Scary.
Other topics this week: Thoughts on the shakeup at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Sora alighting in Smash like some kind of anime Jesus wearing oversized kicks, and the passing of Dragon Quest composer Koichi Sugiyama.
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Who amongst us is truly righteous? It's probably not a great idea to look at Axe of the Blood God for paragons of virtue. That's why Nadia, Kat, and Eric invited Jason Wilson back this week to review Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. What's good? What's bad? Should you play? What are some good starting tips? Will you make friends with a horse that runs across roofs? You can if you believe you can.
Also in this episode: Nadia keeps stanning Actraiser Renaissance, Amazon's New World MMORPG is a hit, and Jack from Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin said a bad word. We're telling mom.
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The '80s are alive and well in our souls -- and on Axe of the Blood God, too. This week, Nadia and Kat are joined by their good pal Jason Wilson as they continue the PC RPG Quest. It all started in the '70s, but PC RPGs got a major boost thanks to the rapid growth of the home computer market. It's a very important chapter of RPG history. After all, without Ultima, Wizardry, or SSI's Gold Box games, there'd be no Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy. What a sick, sad world that would be.
Also in this episode: A new Nintendo Direct brings a deluge of RPG news, and Super Mario now shares his soul with Chris Pratt. Mama Mia!
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It's a new month, which means the Sharlayan Dropouts have huddled themselves in the smoke hole again. (They just keyed Fourchenault's Chocobo chariot; best they lay low for a while.) Nadia, Victor, and Mike talk about the very lengthy Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter, and what it all means for the upcoming Endwalker expansion. That gaping hole in the moon...it's not going to get any bigger, right? Right.
Also in this episode: Dragoons are pole dancing again, the Twins are overdue for their Elezen growth spurt, and Nadia learns you can't just breed brother and sister Chocobos in twisted eugenics experiments like you can in FFVII.
Spoiler Level: Yellow. The front end of the episode is largely spoiler-free, but we loosen up in the back half. Here are some handy-dandy time stamps:
Up to 16:36 - News about the FFXV event, and discussion what we've been doing in-game. Some talk about raids, etc, but no major discussion about story events connected to them.
Up to to 43:40 - Talk about the Live Letter and changes to FFXIV's classes. Some very minor spoilers that involve how each class has evolved since ARR.
From 43:40 onward - Free discussion about Endwalker and the story beats leading up to it.
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Nadia and Kat get a little spoony and talk about one of the oldest and most controversial RPG classes: The Bard. Generous $50 Patron Drew Waranis requested we talk about these golden-throated music makers, and the Blood God is here to please. This episode dissects the history of the Bard, talks about the most famous bards in RPGs, and asks that one vital question: Do we need bards. Are they, like, cool, man?
Also in this episode: Holy crap, Eastbound! Holy crap, Deltarune chapter 2! Holy crap, Tales of Arise already sold a million copies! What an exciting week.
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In this special episode of Axe of the Blood God, we continue our celebration of Namco Bandai Tales series by ranking all of its biggest games -- from the lowly Tales of the Tempest to the much-loved Tales of Symphonia!
In Part 2, we jump into the classics -- the entries that pushed the series forward and retain a special place in our hearts. Joining us once again are two huge Tails fans: Game Informer's Kim Wallace and friend of the pod Victor Hunter! It's Axe of the Blood God's biggest Tales celebration to date, so join us as we conclude the definitive ranking! And as always, thank you to our Patrons at the $5 level and above, who get to access this entry a week early and ad free!
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Tales of Arise has finally arrived, and it's bigger than ten Super Bowls. This week, Kat and Nadia are joined by USgamer alumni (and Normandy FM podcast host) Eric Van Allen as they dive deep into the latest entry in this beloved but oft-troubled RPG series. Is this the Tale that will save the world, and convert all the non-believers? Maybe. Just maybe. Anyway, it has a cute owl, so it's automatically GOTY.
Also in this episode: Stardew Valley is finally finished (maybe), a Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake is in the works, and Yoko Taro is making a card-based game that will probably kill us all in our sleep, then instruct us to reflect on our words and deeds.
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In this special episode of Axe of the Blood God, we continue our celebration of Namco Bandai Tales series by ranking all of its biggest games -- from the lowly Tales of the Tempest to the much-loved Tales of Symphonia!
In Part 1, we examine some of the hard luck entries in the series; the Tales games that didn't have much of a budget, featured strange systems, or are just plain forgettable (meaningful glance at Tales of Hearts). Joining us are two huge Tails fans: Game Informer's Kim Wallace and friend of the pod Victor Hunter! They walk us through some of the more esoteric bits of Tales history, explaining why Tales of the Tempest maybe shouldn't be dismissed so quickly, swapping stories about exploring the Tales store, and making errant comparisons to James Bond films.
It's Axe of the Blood God's biggest Tales celebration to date, so join us as we embark on the definitive ranking! And as always, thank you to our Patrons at the $5 level and above, who can now access Part 2 right away on their feed!
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Summer's going fast, nights are growing colder. It's nearly fall --and with fall comes the holiday games rush. This week, Kat and Nadia discuss some of the RPGs we can expect to see stuffed in the depths of Santa's sack. We have Tales of Arise and Eastward for a start, and as the season goes on, we can expect Super Robot Wars 30, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, Shin Megami Tensei V, and a heck of a lot more.
It's going to be a bountiful season full of fun, surprises, and demons that can't wait to flay you with chains. Also in this episode: MMO maker Netease might be in talks to poach Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, and Bravely Default II is bravely making its way to PC.
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat is absent and it takes Nadia a grand total of ten minutes to wreck the joint. With no Kat to enforce the rules, Nadia is free to jabber about Final Fantasy IV, which she does for two hours alongside Ash Paulsen from Good Vibes Gaming. "What's left to say about Final Fantasy IV?" you might ask.
First of all: Shame on you. Second, Final Fantasy IV's 30th anniversary is behind us and the Pixel Remaster is just ahead of us. There's never a bad time to talk about one of the most important RPGs ever made. But to make things extra interesting, Ash and I rank Final Fantasy IV's cast. Who's most deserving of your love? And who deserves to be chucked out of the Enterprise at 3000 feet? Tune in to find out.
Also in this episode: Moon is coming to Steam, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster I through III received patches (no font fixes, lol), and Monsters Rule! Monster Rancher!!
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We've been there, and now we're back again: The Summer of the Rings draws to its close with a mini Pantheon of the Blood God episode. Kat and Nadia go in-depth with EA's The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age for the PS2. Does it deserve to go into the Pantheon? Heck no -- we'll just spoil that for you up front -- but it's still worth talking about. From its bizarre final boss to an underspoken origin story that indirectly involves Hironobu Sakaguchi, the very existence of the Third Age was something of a marvel.
Also in this episode: Nadia plays with witches who play with guns, Kat makes out with boyfriends who are also swords, and Pokemon fans are big mad for a change.
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It's finally time to start the PC RPG Quest, because without knowledge of our past, there can be no future. This week, Kat and Nadia look back at the primal roots of RPGs, especially games written and played on the giant university mainframes of the '70s. They're joined by author David L. Craddock, who knows a thing or two about ancient computer RPGs. Which RPG first used graphics? Which RPG had the first instance of a boss fight? We guarantee you'll come away from this episode feeling educated and entertained.
Also in this episode: Nadia and Kat compare Tales of Arise impressions, and an Indie Direct brought us a lot of great RPG news. Buckle up Homestuck, because Nintendo's not done: A big Pokemon Direct is coming very soon, too!
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Sprouts! Sprouts everywhere! There's been a massive influx of new players to Final Fantasy XIV, thanks in part to an exodus from World of Warcraft. FFXIV is generally known for its friendly community--not that you won't find players who call you the worst dragoon in the world [COUGH]--and there is some rumbling about how the mass migration might affect FFXIV's chemistry. Is there any real cause for worry, though? Nadia, Mike, and Victor talk about the changes they've observed personally, and Mike has some insight about what's involved in switching from WoW's mechanics to FFXIV's.
Also in this episode: Victor RP's at a goth party, and Nadia is lost in FFXIV's endless crafting hole. Help.
SPOILER WARNING LEVEL: YELLOW. In the second half of the podcast, the crew goes over some minor, generalized story reveals for the opening moments of Shadowbringers. There's also a reference to an early subquest involving a rookie party of adventures...but if you don't know anything about Edda Pureheart, it's high time you learned.
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There be dragons on today's very special episode of Axe of the Blood God. Kat and Nadia talk about the best dragons in RPGs -- and by "best," they kind of mean "worst" because everyone knows dragons are at their best when they're burninating the countryside. Okay, cuddly and friendly dragons are valid, too. Maybe all dragons are valid at the end of the day. In any case, Nadia is incapable of shutting up for most of this episode, so enjoy.
Also up for discussion: Activision Blizzard is working to improve (albeit with a minimum of effort), Mass Effect Legendary Edition sold like gangbusters to Bioware's relief, and Nadia got a sick-ass tattoo that's currently peeling and kind of gross to look at.
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The world is coming to an end again, and you are coming to an end with it. We all are. This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat and Nadia talk about Neo The World EndS With You alongside Imran Khan of Fanbyte and Rebekah Valentine of IGN. Expect compliments, criticisms, and lots of jabbing at game director Tetsuya Nomura. It's all in good fun Nomura, we love you.
If you've not yet played Neo The World Ends With You, fear not--our discussion is spoiler-free!
Also in this episode: Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is great, it's pretty easy to beat up 7-year-olds in Pokemon Unite, and somehow the higher-ups at Activision Blizzard keep finding new ways to crawl deeper into their cesspit.
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Summer's at its hottest and we're right in between big RPG releases. That can only mean one thing for the Axe of the Blood God: It's Letter Tiiiime, it's Letter Tiiiiime! This week, Nadia and Kat chip through a very backed-up mailbag (sorry!) and answer some vital questions like:
And most importantly:
The answers to these questions and lots more are in our magic mailbag episode! You don't want to miss it.
Also in this episode: Final Fantasy XIV is being crushed by love, Kat's into Pokemon Unite (FREE HER), and lots of dark, dank, cursed industry discourse thanks to Activision Blizzard.
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What do RPGs owe to J.R.R. Tolkien's works? Everything... or something dang near close to it. This week, author David Craddock joins Kat and Nadia to talk about The Lord of the Rings' influence on RPGs old and new, eastern and western. Pull up a stool, fill your tankard with the Green Dragon's finest dark ale, and for God's sake, don't fiddle with the fireworks Gandalf so temptingly left unguarded in his wagon.
Also in this episode: The Steam Deck will mean great things for RPGs (aaaaand they're gone), Kat has a new Super Robot Wars lesson, and Tidus' head just friggin' explodes. RIP in pieces, Blitzball boy. This is what it sounds like when doves cry.
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Welcome to our latest project at Axe of the Blood God: Sharlayan Dropouts! In this new monthly podcast, Nadia Oxford and a rotating selection of guests will talk about all things Final Fantasy XIV — a perfect companion for the upcoming Endwalker expansion!
In our first episode, the land of Eorzea fell into fiery ruin when the enraged Primal Bahamut "hatched" from the moon of Dalamud and tore the realm asunder. Then it got better. There's still much work to be done, but Nadia, Mike Williams, and Victor Hunter are content to let Sharlayan's eggheads do the heavy lifting. They're fine with slumming around campus, smoking, and scratching uselessly for the deeper meaning of existence—like all accomplished dropouts.
The newly-formed light party talks about the reasons they got into Final Fantasy XIV, and reminisce over the first races they chose. They also discuss their first Job choices, and wonder why the game doesn't have more hybrid races running around. Well, Nadia wonders, mostly. She wants her Viera/Miqo'te cub, and she wants it right now.
[EPISODE 1 SPOILER ALERT LEVEL: GREEN. Low risk of spoilers. This episode talks about the game and its story in a generalized way. There is some discussion about NPCs that show up in Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers, but there isn't much in-depth discussion about their roles. That said, the nature of spoilers is very subjective, so always listen at your own risk.]
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My pet monster! Pet monster, I love you! This week's episode is all about Monster Hunter Stories 2, and how we love Nargacuga so very, very much. Kat and Nadia are joined by a special guest: IGN's Casey DeFreitas. Together, they gear up and evaluate everything that's good about this unusual RPG from Capcom (a Rathalos gets hugged) and everything that's not-so-good (frame rates that chug like slow freight trains).
Also in this episode: Blizzard's latest World of Warcraft storyline deflates like a balloon, farting sound and all. The second season of Netflix's The Witcher is looking good, Baldur's Gate 3 lets you futz with Lady Luck, and the Nintendo Switch Pro is real! Ha ha, sike. You so thought.
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2021 is half over. Scream and protest all you want; nothing will change. Instead of mulling over the inexorable march of time, why not think about RPGs instead? This week, Nadia and Kat do a mid-year checkup on the genre and talk about their favorites so far. Ys 9! Bravely Default 2! Monster Hunter Rise! And the rest!
Also in this episode: Nadia previews Monster Hunter Stories 2, Kat turns around on Neo The World Ends With You, Elder Scrolls 6 is a long, long way off, and Bidoof, Bidoof, Bidoof.
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Well, the RPG Console Quest is behind us. That can only mean one thing: It's time to make a list. This week, Kat and Nadia rank the consoles according to their contributions to the RPG genre. Which system(s) made it into the "S" tier? Which are condemned to the "LOL" tier? How many consoles did Nadia forget to add to the list until the very last second? (Hint: So many.)
Also in this episode: Final Fantasy 9 is getting an animated series, D&D Dark Alliance is uhhhh, and Square Enix hit the Neo The World Ends With You demo button a smidge too early. What does a "World Ends With You" demo button look like, anyway…? We imagine it's a big, shiny, candy-red button.
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It is the very end, my friends — the very end of Axe of the Blood God's RPG Console Quest! This week, Kat and Nadia talk about the healthy RPG library that's up for grabs on the Nintendo Switch. From unique exclusives like Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Monster Hunter Rise, and Bravely Default 2 to amazing ports like Dragon Quest XI S and the revised Final Fantasy line, the Switch is home to some of the best variety the genre has to offer. Even better, the Switch isn't done by a long shot. It's still going, and whispers of the Switch Pro means Nintendo will surely be around to serve up RPG greatness for a while to come.
Also in this episode: E3 is finished (maybe in more ways than one; it depends on your outlook), Kat went hands-on with Tales of Arise, and Breath of the Wild 2's weapon degradation discourse will kill us all.
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Oh no, it's E3 again. Kat and Nadia talk about the press conferences they've already seen (Square Enix, Microsoft) and speculate on the ones that haven't yet happened (Nintendo). Come for the discussion about Eiyuden Chronicles, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, and Eldin Ring. Stay for the Chaos, Chaos, Chaos.
Also in this episode: Griftlands, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, and did we mention some dude really has a hate-boner for another dude named Chaos?
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Kat is away this week, which means it's another golden opportunity for co-host Nadia Oxford to conduct studies on the cleansing properties of fire. Actually, everything goes very well thanks to a very cool guest appearance by music composer/remixer, Alex Moukala! Alex and Nadia talk about the history of Final Fantasy music and its composers, including series veteran Nobuo Uematsu and Final Fantasy XIV's own bard, Masayoshi Soken.
Also in this episode: Nadia is joined by friend and Blood God FF XIV raid organizer, Victor Hunter, to talk about Shin Megami Tensei III, Square Enix's mysterious E3 plans, and...FFXIV.
Finally, please pardon Nadia's rather dismal mic quality this week. Her Yeti's USB cord elected to slowly murder itself ahead of E3 2021's festivities. There but for the grace of God go any of us.
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This week on the Axe of the Blood God RPG podcast: Education! Sort of. Esteemed games journalist, writer, and reporter Jason Schreier joins Kat and Nadia to talk about his book, Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry. The conversation veers towards the myriad problems with the games industry, particularly the creative process therein...but rest assured the discourse touches on good, hopeful things going on, too. Once the serious stuff is out of the way, the gang veers towards heavy conversation on--what else?--JRPGs, including the Saga series, Final Fantasy XIV, and Dragon Quest, Dragon Quest, Dragon Quest.
Speaking of rocking the dragon, Kat and Nadia go over the Dragon Quest XII and Dragon Quest III 2D-HD trailers in excitable detail. Also in this episode: E3 is on the horizon, and Microsoft is getting ready to show off what Bethany Esda has been up to. (e.g. Starfield. Surely.)
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The Console RPG Quest is nearing its end, and this week Kat and Nadia look back at a real winner: The Wii U! And in this instance, "winner" actually means "loser," and "loser" actually means "Oh God, why?"
Despite its Gamepad-sized problems, the Wii U still had an RPG legacy worth talking about! After all, the world is still waiting on at least one refugee to make the jump to the Switch. (Cough, Xenoblade Chronicles X, cough.)
Also in this episode: Kat wrote a very, very big feature about Blizzard, Starfield is Xbox-only much to the chagrin of PS5 fanboys, and shucks, maybe Ni No Kuni 2 ain't so bad after all. President Roland still sucks nuclear fallout, though.
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This week, Kat and Nadia go massive on Mass Effect! USgamer alumni and absolute Mass Effect sage Eric Van Allen joins the podcast to have a long, involved talk about Mass Effect Legendary Edition. He also lends a sympathetic ear to Nadia's lament over how Wrex is not a romance option.
Once their Krogan thirst is slaked, the crew then moves on to talking about Nier Replicant and Pokemon Snap. You will be shocked, shocked to learn Nadia uploaded a PG-13 picture and promptly received a rebuke email from Nintendo.
Also in this episode: Neo The World Ends With You is making post-hardcore cool again, Skyrim discourse veers into cannibalism and Cinnabon, and congratulations Australia, Hideo Kojima's content is no longer illegal in your fair country!
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This week on Axe of the Blood God, Nadia and Kat talk all about ROMs. (To clarify, they have a discussion about modified game files. Rom the Space Knight does not enter into the picture.) Hacked ROMs have played, and continue to play, a major role in RPG accessibility and expression. Hacked ROMs are what gave us valuable fan translations of RPGs that were otherwise untouchable in the West, including Final Fantasy V, Bahamut Lagoon, and Mother 3. Hacked ROMs let us re-balance our favorite RPGs and fix nasty bugs. Hacked ROMs are also the basis of sprawling fan-made RPGs, much to game publishers' chagrin. It's a meaty topic that travels from the '90s all the way up to present day. A special thanks to $50 Patron Drew Waranis for both this great idea and their generous support!
Also in this episode: Nadia has officially PS5, Yakuza is turn-based forever, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake is taking us to Fort Condor so we can play war games with Big Bird.
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Today on a very special episode of Axe of the Blood God, we host our very first Patreon-sponsored guest! Giuseppe Spinella joins Kat and Nadia for a very thoughtful conversation about the women of the Final Fantasy series. They delve into how said women have contributed to the series' narrative with their strengths, their flaws, and in Garnet's case, their very, very yellow attire. Please enjoy this spirited exchange, and thanks as always to our Patrons for your invaluable support!
Also in this episode: Nier Replicant's positive reception demonstrates how much the games industry has opened up in the past decade, and Nadia touches all of Loki's stuff and makes him mad in Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster.
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Vita means Life — if your definition of “Life” is “Deader than vulture-stripped roadkill.” Yes, Axe of the Blood God pays its dues to the PlayStation Vita this week in the latest RPG Console Quest. Kat and Nadia mourn the powerful handheld’s all-too-early death and its subsequent abandonment by Sony. How did everything go so very wrong? More importantly, which RPGs were left orphaned on the system? Why do retro JRPG fans love the Vita so very, very much?
Also in this episode: Kat and Nadia launch an entirely new segment, Nadia falls on her face while trying to understand SaGa Frontier Remastered, and Square Enix probably isn’t for sale, so put away your piggybank.
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A new week, a new milestone! This time Kat and Nadia get to answer a question sent in by a generous Patron: How do we get into new RPGs without becoming so intimidated that we run in the opposite direction and back into the arms of the comforting RPGs we already know and love? It’s a great query that yields some deep discussion about overcoming personal discomforts to enrich our experience with the genre. Oh, and there are also tips galore about how to get into new RPGs. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, you had to send your parents’ phone bill through the roof to get this kind of primo game-playing advice.
Also in this episode: Early Fantasian impressions, E3 will be E-Free (and online), Square Enix gets a bit of Outriders-brand salve to soothe its Avengers boo-boos, and we crown our RPG March Madness champion at last!
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Are there monsters under your bed? There are a whole bunch under ours, and we couldn’t be happier about it. Monster Hunter Rise is on the Nintendo Switch, and it’s a monster-whacking gem. Kat and Nadia review the game in-depth with the help of GamesBeat’s review editor, Mike Minotti, and Nerium Strom of Fanbyte.
Also in this episode: CD Projekt Red is hard at work trying to salvage Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy alumni revealed a new game called Astria Ascending, and the Bravely Default soundtracks are now on Spotify, so dunk your head in that musical goodness and drink deep.
Finally, a wee bit of news that flew by us as soon as we finished recording: Hironobu Sakaguchi’s new RPG, Fantasian, is out on Apple Arcade! We’ll have more about that next week, so please look forward to it.
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It's time for another Pantheon of the Blood God, and this month we're joined by former CGW Editor in Chief Jeff Green to explore System Shock 2! Join us for a special preview as we explore its history and talk about why this classic horror RPG is so significant. To hear the rest of the show as well as the rest of our exclusive content, head over to our Patreon and sign up at the $10 of the show!
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By the Dragonlord's pantaloons! Axe of the Blood God has hit episode 300, and we couldn't be prouder to bring it to you! Kat and Nadia hosted a live show, but if you missed out, here's the neat 'n clean audio for you. You can also watch a re-run at Kat's Twitch channel.
This week, Nadia and Kat have a long leisurely talk with the Blood God audience about RPG "firsts." Which game gets the credit as the progenitor of the genre we love so much? Did Dragon Quest III introduce classes, or did Final Fantasy III beat the dragon to the punch? And did you know modern RPGs owe a heck of a lot to Hydlide, that primitive "bump-and-stab" action RPG that has the worst overworld music in gaming history? Life is full of surprises, and we love reminding you all of that fact.
Also in this episode: Monster Hunter Rise is monstrously good, SMT 3 featuring Dante from Devil May Cry is coming to Switch in May, and Square Enix cancels a Final Fantasy XI remake that we had no idea was in the works.
Thanks for your support! Here's to 300 more episodes.
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Wowzers! Kat and Nadia are one episode away from the big 3-0-0! Despite being on the cusp of a momentous occasion, they decide to chill out this week and talk about action RPGs. What makes a good action RPG? How has the genre evolved from its earliest and most popular titles? Why are some RPG fans (Kat) a little salty about action RPGs’ very existence? The answers to these mysteries and more lie within.
Also in this episode: There’s a whole lot of news about the state of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Nier: Automata is finally getting fixed on the PC, and the March Madness match-ups are getting real spicy in a real hurry.
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Remember when corporations really tried to make 3D media a permanent thing? Axe of the Blood God remembers. In fact, this week our RPG Console Quest takes us back to the Nintendo 3DS, a handheld that projected images in 3D without the need for goofy glasses. The glasses-free 3D gimmick wore out its welcome pretty quickly. In fact, the Nintendo 3DS had an infamously rocky start that led to a massive price cut. Things were looking pretty hairy for a little while, but in the end, the Nintendo 3DS was a strong, quiet triumph that gave us a lot of great RPGs.
Also in this episode: Bethesda has officially merged with Microsoft (resistance is futile), Fantasian might be composer Nobuo Uematsu’s swan song, and Kat has Final Fantasy 14 mount envy.
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Two highly-anticipated games, Bravely Default 2 and Persona 5 Strikers, had the gall to come out simultaneously. Kat and Nadia are determined to give both titles equal attention, but that’s a lot of work for just two gals, awesome as they might be. That’s why freelance writer and very special guest Samantha Nelson joins us to gab about braving, defaulting, and why Yusuke is still Persona 5’s best boy.
Also in this episode: Kat gets caught up on all the major Pokemon news, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is in a lot of bloody trouble, and March Madness: RPG Edition (the only edition worth following) kicks off.
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With Kat out romping with faeries or whatever people do on vacation, Nadia is left to host an entire episode all by her lonesome. Or is she? This week, Nadia calls on a very old friend, Andrew Vestal, the former proprietor of the very first Final Fantasy site she visited when she connected to the internet in 1995. Nadia and Andrew ramble down memory lane and recall how RPG fandom was so very different in the ‘90s, when sites were hosted on bare motherboards cooled by oscillating fans. And yet, so much was familiar: Arguments over game localization, rampant rumor mongering, and blind character worship. There is truly nothing new under the sun.
Also in this episode: RIP Anthem, Bravely Default 2 is out and about, and holy moly, there is a lot going on with Pokemon in the near future. We’re very excited.
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It's once again time for Axe of the Blood God to evaluate a classic RPG for induction into the Pantheon of the Blood God, and this entry is one of the most controversial (and underrated!) games of them all. This month our $10+ Patreon subscribers get to hear us talk about Final Fantasy VIII! In this free preview, Kat, Nadia, and special guest Alex Donaldson talk about the "cloud" hanging over the series in the form of Final Fantasy VII, the subtle storytelling around Laguna, and much more. The full is available now and can be accessed via our Patreon!
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It’s a tough, tough world out there right now, and we hope you’re keeping well, Blood God listeners. This week, we take things Ys-y (HAH!) as Game Informer’s Kimberly Wallace joins Nadia in a lengthy discussion about Ys 9: Monstrum Nox. Does it live up to the lofty standards set by 2016’s Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana? Sit and listen before you inevitably drift down the road to your next adventure.
Also in this episode: Nadia and Kat deconstruct the recent Nintendo Direct and get excited over Project Triangle Strategy, an awesome-looking strategy RPG with a dumb working title. Finally, Kat begins her journey into Final Fantasy XIV as an Elezen and offers her first impressions of Square Enix’s hit MMORPG.
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Axe of the Blood God’s noble Console RPG Quest continues, and this week we dissect the RPG legacy of a very interesting system: The PlayStation 3. Sony’s first HD console was hobbled right from the start thanks to derisive memes, awkward accessories, programming troubles, and good old fashioned arrogance. To make things worse, the popularity of game consoles was on a major downswing in Japan, and JRPGs were regarded as tragically uncool in the west. How did everything turn out for Sony in the end? We break it all down.
Also in this episode: We talk about the trailer for the next Final Fantasy 14 expansion, Endwalker, Persona 5 Strikers is about to take your heart, and CD Projekt Red is dealing with a massive cyberattack at the worst possible time. Well, there’s never a good time to deal with a cyberattack, but in this particular instance... yeah. It’s bad.
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Nadia and Kat host a live discussion with the Axe of the Blood God community! They share plans for an exciting community event for March, where Television of the Blood God stands following the conclusion of The Witcher, and plans for the next Pantheon pick. Plus, we take questions from the community!
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What an eventful week. Nadia's wayward Xbox Series X showed up on her doorstep (well, it showed up in the Walmart pick-up area), and we have a very special guest: Austin Walker of Waypoint and Friends at the Table! He talks to us about his one true love, Mass Effect, and gives us his thoughts on the upcoming remaster (23:20). He also talks about the different feelings JRPGs evoke versus Western RPGs (32:40), and goes over the joys and disappointments of Final Fantasy XV (35:00).
There is also a Final Fantasy XIV discussion featuring a rant by Nadia (37:10), a debate about RPG systems versus story (42:00), a talk about the importance of good character development (45:30), another debate over whether or not Nioh 2 is an RPG (49:00), a chat about how gaming discourse has changed over the past five years alone (51:40), and an observation about how modern politics can alter game stories (1:00).
Finally, our meeting with Austin wraps up with discourse on tabletop RPGs (1:04), and an all-important discussion about robots and Super Robot Wars. (1:10). Whew! It's a meaty episode, all right. Meatier than Castlevania's walls.
Enjoy the pod? Check out our Patreon! New episodes are available a week early and ad free to subscribers at the $5 level and up.
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It’s time to dish out some hugs and kisses to indie RPGs. This week, Kat and Nadia talk about the independently-developed RPGs they’re most excited for in 2021, including She Dreams Elsewhere, Cris Tales, Darkest Dungeons 2, and—dare we hope—Eastward.
Also on the docket: Nadia has Ys IX impressions, Mass Effect’s alien sex is beautiful, and we have no idea what’s going on with the GameStop stock fiasco. That doesn’t stop us from trying to sound smart about it, however. Enjoy the pod? Check out our Patreon! New episodes are available a week early and ad free to subscribers at the $5 level and up.
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The only thing you should fear more than the Blood God’s axe is the Blood God’s anime obsession. This week, Kat and Nadia talk to Bob Mackey and Henry Gilbert talk about how anime and RPGs uplift one another. They also look back at RPGs based on licensed anime properties, and recall the Mighty Struggle™ that shaped and molded anime fans who traded VHS tapes before digital distribution saved us all.
Also in this episode: There’s a new Fallout New Vegas game (well, sort of), Twitter is playing Pokemon, and we’re not allowed to stop talking about Cyberpunk 2077 because at some point we must’ve died and gone to hell for our sins.
Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/bloodgodpod
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Get out of your chair and start waggling because it’s time for the Axe of the Blood God Wii Console Quest! This week, Nadia and Kat discuss the strange, often troubled RPG history of Nintendo’s revolutionary console. Relive Operation Rainfall and recall how the fan-based movement pressured Nintendo into finally giving North America the still-beloved Xenoblade Chronicles. Plus, EA no longer has a Star War (and we still don’t have KOTOR 3), Square Enix might be up to some Final Fantasy 7 Remake extended universe shenanigans, and Cyberpunk discourse is still throwing off heat as we get properly settled into 2021.
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In our first ever Community Update, Kat and Nadia get together for a live conversation with Axe of the Blood God's community! They talk about which RPGs they've been playing of late, share an update on what's been happening with the show and Discord, and take questions from the audience on the best Chrono Trigger party, Persona 5 Strikers, and much more!
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It's officially 2021, and the brand-new year already seems poised to keep on dishing out the same trials and tribulations that made 2020 so special. Kat and Nadia take a nice break from the plague and strife to talk about what's in store for RPGs in the new year. Will we get our hands on Elden Ring? Can we really expect Final Fantasy 16 in 2021? And what about the mythological The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2?
Also in this episode: Nadia talks about the Ys 9 demo, Persona soundtracks are finally on Spotify, and Elder Scrolls 6 is probably going to Hammerfell instead of Black Marsh like it should. Enjoy the show? Consider subscribing to our Patreon for episodes that are a weekly early and ad free! https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod
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Axe of the Blood's special quest to rank all of the numbered Final Fantasy games (and their direct sequels) continues with the Top 10! With the help of special guest Ash Paulsen of Good Vibes Games, we talk about why Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy IV, and yes, Final Fantasy X-2, deserve to be remembered as the finest games the series has to offer... and as some of the finest video games of all time. Enjoy the show? Subscribe to the Axe of the Blood God Patreon for episodes that are a week early and ad free: https://patreon.com/bloodgodpod
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Nadia and Kat kick off their episode-by-episode exploration of The Witcher Season 1 with a discussion of how the show was made and a look at the first episode! Swords! Sorcery! A tower of naked women in a garden for some reason! Nadia and Kat break it all down while putting it into the context with the games. This episode is free to all listeners! If you enjoy it, subscribe and you will be able to access the rest of the season!
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The Axe of the Blood God Patreon is officially live! Nadia and Kat get together to talk about where the show stands in 2021, what listeners to the free feed can expect going forward, and some of the exciting new bonus content that we'll be releasing now that we're officially independent!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod Twitter: https://twitter.com/bloodgodpod Instagram: bloodgodpod
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To celebrate the launch of the Axe of the Blood God Patreon (http://patreon.com/bloodgodpod), we are undertaking a massive quest: a two-part ranking all of the numbered Final Fantasy games, as well as their direct sequels! For Part 1 we're joined by Game Informer's Kim Wallace to talk about Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy II, and other entries that remain controversial to this day. It's not all bad, though! Some of these entries remain strong to this day, and deserve to celebrated, flaws and all.
Want to listen to Part 2 immediately? Subscribe to the Patreon! Want to talk about this episode? Drop your thoughts in the comments and we may read them on the episode!
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It's closing time for USgamer. Mat and Eric, the site's last guardians, join Nadia and Kat on the last Blood God produced under the USgamer banner. They recall their time with the site and reminisce about the weird things that happened at the events they attended. Finally, they wind down with a discussion about their favorite games of 2020. Thanks for the memories, USgamer, and here's to the Blood God going independent!
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The end of 2020 draws near! Command? Nadia and Kat look back on a turbulent year and consider everything that's happened: game delays caused by COVID-19, Microsoft's Bethesda acquisition, the Cyberpunk 2020 goat rodeo, and so very much more. They also reflect upon the biggest RPGs of the year, from Final Fantasy 7 Remake to Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
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Polygon and RPG Site reviewers Carolyn Petit and Alex Donaldson join the show to analyze the biggest RPG of 2020: Cyberpunk 2077! They talk about the ways that it does (and doesn't) push the cyberpunk genre forward, its technical problems, and whether its handling of trans issues is as poor as it seems. [No spoilers!] Also, breaking down the Mass Effect reveal and more!
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With Cyberpunk 2077 finally due out this week, it's time to take a harder look at the studio that is CD Projekt. Where did it come from? How did it rise to the top of the RPG heap over the past generation? And what are some potential stumbling blocks it faces in the future? Nadia and Kat delve into all this, with additional chatter about Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light, Atelier Ryza 2, and more!
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This week we're taking a break and trying something new at Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Quiz Show! Kat plays host as Nadia, Eric, and Mathew Olson compete to see who knows the most about the role-playing genre (or can at least come up with the most amusing answers). It's RPG fun for the whole family! Plus, breaking down the follow-up to The World Ends With You, and more!
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We're firmly in the teeth of the 2020 release season, and the RPGs are arriving fast. Kat and Nadia circle back on some of the RPGs they missed, including Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, WoW: Shadowlands, Godfall, and more. Plus: Cyberpunk's performance on current-gen consoles, The Game Awards RPG nominations, and more thoughts on Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
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Kat and Nadia bid farewell to Mike Williams the only way they know how—with a lengthy conversation about Final Fantasy 14. They also welcome back old friend Ash Paulsen, who joins the group to talk about Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory and more. Finally, Kat and Nadia have an announcement about the future of Axe of the Blood God.
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The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are out this week, and we've got the whole gang to break it all down over the course of a two hour mega-pod extravaganza! Kat, Mike, Nadia, and Eric are here to compare the PS5 and Xbox Series X, look at the launch lineup, and break down all the pros and cons for early adopters. Also in this episode, we review Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and lots of cats appear! Don't miss out!
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In a continuation of their look back on the most recent console generation, Kat and Nadia examine the outsized impact of the PlayStation 4 on RPGs. From the return of Japan to the "mainstreaming" of RPGs, to VR and "service games," the pair talk about all the way that RPGs have changed over the past seven years. Also in this episode: Cyberpunk 2077's delay, Trails of Cold Steel 4 impressions, and much more!
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With the next generation of consoles mere weeks away, we're jumping ahead in the Console RPG Quest to the Xbox One! While at first glance the Xbox One's RPG legacy is quite weak, there's more to it than meets the eye. Kat and Nadia talk about the importance of backward compatibility, the possibilities afforded by streaming, and lessons learned as they delve into the Xbox One's console history. Also, Torchlight 3 reviews, Crown Tundra impressions, and much more!
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Kat and Nadia take a break from the grind of the RPG release schedule to talk about how some of today's most popular genres can be combined with the wonders of role-playing, including battle royale, Among Us, and more. Plus, we talk about Phil Spencer's recent comments concerning Bethesda, Yakuza 7, and more!
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Larian founder Swen Vincke returns to the podcast to discuss the initial feedback on Baldur's Gate 3's early access release, turn-based vs. real-time with pause, dice rolls, and more! (Starts around 26:20) Plus, Kat and Nadia share their impressions on Genshin Impact, the Monster Hunter movie trailer, and more!
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The Console RPG Quest officially arrives in the HD era with the Xbox 360 RPG Quest! Nadia and Kat talk about the impact of online, the waning fortunes of the Japanese industry, the super success of Oblivion, and much more! Plus, USgamer Reviews Editor Mike Williams is here to talk about Genshin Impact, the new free-to-play open-world RPG that's already a hit on PC, iOS, and PS4!
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Kat and Nadia are joined by USgamer News Editor Eric Van Allen to sing the praises of Hades, the amazing roguelite by Supergiant Games that is now out of Early Access. The trio discuss its relationship to Diablo; how Supergiant is beating Blizzard at its own game, and why RPG fans should play this excellent dungeon crawler. Plus, all of this week's RPG news, the Track of the Week, and more!
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In a move with enormous implications for the games industry as a whole, but especially for RPGs, Microsoft has acquired Bethesda, the publisher responsible for Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Starfield. What will this mean for role-playing games? How will this impact the next-gen race? And how will Sony react? Kat and Nadia are joined by special guests Mike Williams and Reb Valentine to break it all down!
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Kat and Nadia react to a huge week for RPG announcements, breaking down Avalanche's Harry Potter game, Monster Hunter Rise, and the PS5 price announcement. Then it's time to talk Final Fantasy XVI, as Kat and Nadia analyze its announcement trailer, its connections to Final Fantasy 14, and its place in the long history of Final Fantasy announcements that have kicked off each new generation. It's a busy week for RPG news, so strap on your armor and join us!
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The fall release season is officially upon us, and that means it's time to preview all of the big RPGs that will carry us to the end of the year. Kat and Nadia sit down to preview Cyberpunk 2077, Trails of Cold Steel 4, Yakuza 7, World of WarCraft Shadowlands, and all the rest of this fall's most interesting role-playing games. Plus: Reactions to the Xbox Series S price and more.
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The latest edition of the Console RPG Quest explores the legacy of Sony's initial foray into the handheld space: the PlayStation Portable! Kat and Nadia recall Sony's attempt to create "the Walkman for the 21st century," the rise of Monster Hunter and its impact on RPGs, the strange saga of Persona 2, and much more as they continue their quest to catalog the RPG legacy of every major console!
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In 1997, a small group of former devs from Konami and Square got together to make Moon: RPG Remix Adventure, an affectionate parody and tribute to the role-playing genre. More than 20 years later, it's finally out for Nintendo Switch, and Kat and Nadia dig into the legacy of this curious creation by Love-de-lic. Plus: Wasteland 3 impressions, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles online woes, Dragon Age 4 teasers, and reactions to rumors of a "Switch Pro."
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Kat Bailey is on vacation, so hapless co-host Nadia Oxford takes over the Axe of the Blood God with help from USgamer news editor, Eric Van Allen. The duo put out out the small fires that invariably crop up when Kat's out of town while they discuss Baldur's Gate 3, new RPGs coming to Nintendo Switch, and the troubles bogging down Bloodlines 2. Then developer Davionne Gooden joins in to talk about his upcoming RPG, She Dreams Elsewhere, as well as the challenges of putting an RPG on the Switch.
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It was the year 2000, and Square was pushing three big RPGs on the Sony PlayStation. The games themselves—Chrono Cross, Threads of Fate, and Legend of Mana—met with a mixed reception, but the Summer of Adventure 2000 said more about where Square stood in that particular moment in history. Kat and Nadia remember this unique period in gaming history, the RPGs it spawned, and Back to the Future 2 (?) in this look back on the mythical summer of 2000.
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The latest entry in the Console RPG Quest series takes on the Nintendo DS, the legendary "third pillar" that did its part to carry Nintend for more than a decade. From Etrian Odyssey to Dragon Quest IX, Kat and Nadia discuss its remarkable RPG library, and why it was so important to Japanese gaming in the late 2000s.
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With the next generation of consoles nearly upon us, Kat is joined by Reviews Editor Mike Williams and Senior Editor Caty McCarthy to discuss the future of the genre. What surprises do the PS5 and Xbox Series X hold for RPGs? Will it all be Destiny-likes and Witcher 3 clones? Or will we be treated to new settings, A.I. innovations, and other fascinating changes? We discuss!
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It's a super busy week for RPG news as Kat and Nadia talk about all the Shin Megami Tensei announcements while breaking down the big Fable and Avowed reveals from the Xbox showcase. This is all on top of word that the Suikoden creators are getting together to create a spiritual successor, which Kat and Nadia react to in real time. Listen as we discuss all the RPGs you'll be playing in 2021 and beyond!
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GameXplain's Andre Segers joins the podcast to review Paper Mario: The Origami King with Kat and Nadia. Why is the latest game in the venerable series proving so contentious among Nintendo fans? Is there a way to revive the series's fortunes? And what would a Super Mario Persona 5 game look like? We answer all of these questions, plus delve further into the recent glut of RPG adaptations, talk Ghost of Tsushima, and more.
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Close to a decade after its original crowdfunding campaign, CrossCode is finally on console! Kat and Nadia are joined by Hirun Cryer, who explains why this beautiful indie RPG is worth your attention. Plus, Kat explains why she's still digging Pokemon Sword, and Nadia reveals her thoughts on Paper Mario: The Origami King.
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The original Xbox didn't have that many role-playing game, but it was nevertheless a watershed moment for both console history and the RPG genre. Kat and Nadia look back on Microsoft's entry into the console market and talk about Knights of the Old Republic's breakout success, Fable's broken promises, and much more, Plus: Reacting to the newly-announced Fallout TV show! Does it have any hope of being good? We discuss!
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It's Diablo 2's 20th anniversary, and Kat and Nadia are here to talk about its remarkable descendants, including Titan Quest, Torchlight, and other classics (plus some newer games)! Plus, Cyberpunk 2077 impressions, why Pokemon Diamond & Pearl doesn't need a remake, and more!
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The latest entry in the Console RPG Quest tackles both the WonderSwan and the Neo Geo Pocket, two cult favorite handhelds nevertheless trapped in the shadow of the Game Boy. Are their RPG legacies worth remembering? Kat and Nadia discuss! Plus, the duo get into all of the RPG news from the week, including the Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC, the Cyberpunk delay, and more!
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It's E3! ... Sort of. Kat and Nadia react to the PS5 reveal and lament the general lack of RPGs; talk about Persona 4 Golden being liberated from the Vita, and speculate on Square Enix's newly-revealed Project Athia. Plus chatter about the Demon's Souls Remake, the Track of the Week, and more!
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We're launching a brand new podcast at USgamer! In this special preview of Branching Narratives, Jeff and Kat sit down to talk about Jeff's journey through the industry; why they're launching a conversational podcast, and how it's all going to work. Stay tuned for the first full episode on June 10!
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In the course of USG raising more than $7000 for Black Lives Matters during a live stream, Axe of the Blood God recently held a live discussion about social commentary in RPGs. That segment is included in this episode, in which we are joined by Eric Van Allen and VG247's Alex Donaldson, who talk about the failings of Vampire: The Masquerade and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, the successes of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and more. Plus: Outer Worlds on Switch isn't so great, unfortunately!
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Kat, Nadia, and USG Senior Editor Caty McCarthy render their final verdict on Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, where they talk about the new content, the biggest changes, and whether the fan-favorite RPG holds up. Plus: Track of the Week, a potential World Ends With You sequel, Kat's favorite podcasts, and more!
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The Console RPG Quest continues with an exploration of one of Nintendo's less popular handhelds. Regarded as a bit of a tweener in its day, trapped as it was between the Nintendo DS and Game Boy, it has grown in esteem as fans have come to better appreciate its beautiful graphics and large library. But what about its RPG legacy? Tune in and listen as Kat and Nadia remember Pokemon Ruby, Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Mother 3, and all the rest of the most important RPGs on the GBA!
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There's lots to talk about in the news, so Nadia and Kat take some time to talk through the recent PS5 tech demo, the Ghost of Tsushima gameplay reveal, and the surprising controversy around Paper Mario. Then Kat shares her thoughts on Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, and listeners get to weigh in on the failed RPGs they want to make a comeback!
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Some RPGs become successful franchises, and others simply vanish into history, regardless of merits. This episode covers the latter, with Nadia and Kat discussing lost gems including Alpha Protocol, Resonance of Fate, The Last Story, Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning, and more. Do these games deserve another chance? Maybe, maybe not, but they at least deserve to be remembered.
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Maligned in its day, the Nintendo GameCube is now fondly remembered by Nintendo fans. But what about its RPGs? Kat and Nadia continue the Console RPG Quest by exploring the legacy of Baten Kaitos, Tales of Symphonia, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and the rest of the RPGs that defined the GameCube.
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Kat and Nadia sit down to review Trials of Mana remake, and in the process delve into a bigger question: Does the Mana series hold up? Nadia thinks yes, but Kat isn't so sure. The pair also delve into the Secret of Mana soundtrack, celebrate Fire Emblem's 30th anniversary, and more!
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It's a great big multiplayer RPG episode as USG's Play Together Week gets underway! Kat and Nadia are joined by Mike Williams to reminisce about Final Fantasy 11, discuss the World of WarCraft: Shadowlands Alpha, and revisit Fallout 76 through its new Wastelanders update. Is it finally worth returning to Fallout 76? The Blood God crew weighs in! Plus: We're introducing a brand new segment this week!
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Special guests Steve Bowling of GameXplain and Alex Donaldson of VG247 join Kat to discuss Final Fantasy 7 Remake's unique ending, and what might come next [10:35 to 57:00 if you want to avoid spoilers]. Then Nadia returns to ponder whether Xenogears and Suikoden 2 should get remakes, talk about quests that can be completed without violence, and compare the Switch's current RPG library to that of the 3DS.
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Senior Guides Writer Jake Green joins Kat for a non-spoiler review discussion of Final Fantasy 7 Remake! They talk about what it gets right (the characters and soundtrack), where it suffers (the padding), and whether it lives up to all the hopes, dreams, and speculation of the past 15 years. Don't worry, this episode has NO SPOILERS. Read our review here: https://www.usgamer.net/articles/final-fantasy-7-remake-review
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MinnMax's Ben Hanson joins Kat and Nadia as a special guest to remember the awkwardness that was Square's direct to video era. From Advent Children to Crisis Core, the trio recount the good and bad of the compilation, and wonder whether it deserves any sort of mention in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Plus: Nadia's Bravely Default 2 impressions!
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With Persona 5 Royal just a week away, Nadia, Eric, Hirun, and Caty get together for a spoiler-filled and in-depth conversation about the original game. They discuss Persona 5's history; social links; amazing soundtrack, and whether or not the ending ultimately works. Also, Nadia and Hirun chime in with a bit of (not as spoiler-filled) chatter about Persona 5 Royal. Does Persona 5 still hold up after three years? Listen and decide for yourself!
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Which RPGs have the best intros? Kat and Nadia talk through the introductory sequences in some of the best RPGs ever made, and why they work and don't work. Why does Final Fantasy 7's opening hit so hard? What about Mass Effect 2? The pair explain what a really good intro can do for a story, and all the ways that a bad one can sap an otherwise good RPG's momentum.
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It's a Mailbag of the Blood God this week as Kat and Nadia tackle all of your biggest questions! This week's questions include:
- Why do RPG protagonists always seem to use swords?
- What are the Blood God's commandments for succeeding in RPGs?
- Why are airships so awesome?
- Do we feel guilty over dropping an especially long RPG?
- What are some of our favorite examples of customization in an RPG?
- What JRPGs would we recommend to someone who grew up with PC RPGs like Baldur's Gate?
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The Console RPG Quest continues with our exploration of the PlayStation 2, just in time for its 20th anniversary! We talk about its incredibly deep library of RPGs; the rise of companies like NIS and Level-5, and classics like Final Fantasy 10 and Persona 3. Plus, Kat recently got a chance to check out Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Baldur's Gate 3, and she has lots of thoughts! Get ready because we've got a huge podcast for you this month!
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This week's episode tackles the tropes that Kat and Nadia love (and hate) to see in RPGs. From customizable characters to sewer levels; flowery monologues to confusion status effects, Kat and Nadia talk about the elements that draw their attention, and the elements that immediately turn them off. It's a discussion that delves deep into some of the key components of the RPG genre, and game design in general, and will hopefully get you thinking about the elements you love to hate and see in games as well. Don't miss out!
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Former 1UP/EGM writer Shane Bettenhausen returns to talk about the Dreamcast's RPG legacy, the greatness of Phantasy Star Online and Skies of Arcadia, and its sneaky interesting catalog of import RPGs. Plus, staff writer Hirun Cryer drops by to discuss the new Fire Emblem: Three Houses DLC, Persona 5 Royal, and more!
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Having chosen the best RPGs of the 2010s, Kat and Nadia conclude by taking a closer look at where JRPGs stand as the new decade gets underway. They talk about what the return to consoles have meant for the genre; the proliferation of cheap and accessible graphics technology, and the sneaky importance of Steam. Plus, Kat has some hot takes about the Vita. Check it out!
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Kat and Nadia look back on the decade that was the 2010s for RPGs! They discuss some of the biggest storylines; look back on the most interesting RPGs, and talk about the games that didn't make it on USG's Top 100 RPGs of the Decade. Plus: The duo analyze Final Fantasy 7 Remake's latest trailer!
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It's another Axe of the Blood God mailbag! We tackle all of our your questions as we wrap up the first month of 2020. Some of the topics that we cover in this month's mailbag:
- Can we expect a truly innovative JRPG in 2020?
- What are the best short RPGs?
- Which otherwise good RPGs have been ruined by a design or story choice?
- What's one think we wish all RPGs would adopt?
- Is Kat really a Hufflepuff?
Plus, Mike joins us as we talk Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Temtem, and the new Kingdom Hearts 3 DLC!
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Tokyo Mirage Sessions#FE is out on Nintendo Switch, and Kat and Nadia is here to see whether it holds up! Was it undeservedly overlooked on Wii U? Or should it have stayed in the studio? Plus, brand new Fire Emblem: Three Houses DLC, Byleth in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and your reactions to the N64 Console RPG Quest!
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The Console RPG Quest continues with the Nintendo 64! We discuss Nintendo's break with Square; why it was an important turning point in Nintendo's history, and why its RPG library ended up being so light [23:50]. Plus: We talk about Pokemon Sword and Shield's newly-announced DLC and what it means for the series going forward!
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It's a brand new year, and that means new RPGs! Join Kat and Nadia as they get excited about Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Tales of Arise, and all the rest of this year's biggest games! Plus, we talk about the potential impact of a new console generation, the Witcher on Netflix, and much more.
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The end of 2019 is upon us, and that means it's time to discuss all of our favorite games! Eric Van Allen and Mathew Olson join the pod to talk Goose Game, Trails of Cold Steel 3, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and the rest of the best games of the year. Get a fire going, grab a mug of hot chocolate, and have a listen as we wrap up 2019!
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Kat and Nadia are joined by Caty to recap the year that was 2019 in RPGs! They discuss all the big stories, the big trends, and the biggest games, including: - The Year of the Switch Port - BioWare's Struggles - The Year Long National Pokedex Obsession - Fire Emblem: Three Houses being just great - Outer Worlds being... good? - Disco Elysium changing how we think about character progression - ... And much more! It all adds up to the Blood God's Pick for the Best RPG of 2019! Join us as we wrap yet another amazing year in RPGs!
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Just in time for its 25th anniversary, Kat and Nadia delve into the RPG legacy of the PlayStation! The pair discuss its massive impact on the genre; share their favorite memories, and discuss classic RPGs ranging from Chrono Cross to Beyond the Beyond. Is PS One the most important RPG console ever? The answer is more complicated than you think.
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New games, new updates, and a booming streaming culture has contributed to a mini-renaissance for Dungeons & Dragons. Dicebreaker's Sara Elsam joins us to talk about how that happened, as well to talk about her evil bard; adventures in being a DM, and roleplaying vs. systems-based RPGs. Bonus: We take a look at Mistover, a KRPG dungeon crawler, and decide if it deserves the Blood God's blessing!
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Nadia and Kat talk some more about Pokemon Sword and Shield, and some of the surprising references within. (Trust Kat to be able to identify actual real-world stadiums within Galar region.) There's also a lot of end-of-the-year talk about the upcoming Game of the Year Awards, and some of the curious snubs that happened in this year's nominations. Oh Disco Elysium, where art thou? Finally, after all the talk and the news is squared away, it's time for a big mailbag episode, including:
1. Why Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire is good
2. Should Bahamut Lagoon be brought back?
3. How do we handle our backlog?
4. More Sega Saturn RPGs
5. Why Super Hylide was an interesting Sega Genesis RPG
6. Recommendations for more sci-fi RPGs like R-Type Command
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Pokemon Sword and Shield is here! GameSpot Pokemon Master Kallie Plagge joins Kat and Nadia to talk about the joys (and the controversies) of the latest generation of Pokemon! [Review begins at 17:22] Plus, we discuss the return of Romancing SaGa 3, and wonder whether Anthem can be saved with a "Realm Reborn" reboot.
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Kat takes a break from the RPG beat to talk about one of the biggest games of the year: Death Stranding! She's joined by Eric Van Allen and Hirun Cryer to discuss Bridge Babies, deconstructing America, and clocking bandits over the head with cargo. This one is full of spoilers so beware! Plus: Why it's time for Mass Effect to be remastered. Spoilers begin at 17:40 and continue for the rest of the episode!
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The Console RPG Quest returns with the Sega Saturn! We're joined by Digital Foundry's John Linneman to discuss the technology, games, and history that make it a unique standout in the history of consoles. Plus, some Death Stranding review chatter, and a recap of the Diablo 4 and World of WarCraft announcements!
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Developers Leonard Boyarsky and Nitai Poddar come on the show to talk about the development of The Outer Worlds, Boyarsky's feelings on Fallout 3, and more. Plus, Mike talks about his review of the game. It's an all Outer Worlds podcast as we go in-depth on this spiritual successor to Fallout.
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With the RPG deluge continuing, Kat and Nadia are joined by Caty and Mike to pick through the biggest releases, including Trails of Cold Steel 3, Disco Elysium, and Little Town Hero. Plus, we talk Witcher 3 on Switch, whether it's been a good generation for games, and more!
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The mailbag returns as Kat and Nadia talk about what RPGs genre novices should tackle first; revisit the legacy of Final Fantasy 13, and more! Plus, they review Indivisible, the new RPG by the creators of Skullsgirls. Does it live up to the legacy of Valkyrie Profile? Find out!
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We're almost finished the 16-bit era in our Console RPG Quest, but first we have to talk about some of the lesser-known consoles of the period. We take a shotgun approach in this episode, covering the RPG histories of the 3DO, Jaguar, NeoGeo, and CDi (they exist!) Also, we say a few words about AlphaDream as it files for bankruptcy, and talk more about portable RPGs.
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What's better than an RPG? An RPG you can stuff in your pocket and tote around like a designer dog. (Please do not shove tiny dogs into your pockets.) With Kat overseas taking care of Big Editor Things for the site this week, Nadia teams up with Eric to discuss the beauty of portable RPGs, and talks about some of their favorite handheld adventures. Also in this episode: The Grandia HD Collection is getting a big patch, and Eric gives his in-depth impressions of GreedFall.
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The Fall 2019 release period is here! To prepare for the oncoming deluge of games, Kat and Nadia talk about all the biggest RPGs of the season, including Outer Worlds, Pokemon, Disco Elysium, and more. Plus, Caty joins the crew to extol the virtues of Ni no Kuni, and they talk Switch Lite, Apple Arcade, and Link's Awakening. The long wait is over; now it's time to play some games!
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Kotaku editor and Retronauts veteran Chris Kohler join Kat and Nadia to discuss what may be the greatest RPG console of them: The Super Nintendo! They recall their history with Nintendo's 16-bit marvel, talk about why it was initially controversial, and explain why it holds up so well today. Plus, Link's Awakening impressions, a Sega Genesis Mini Review, and some TGS discussion!
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Axe of the Blood God is back after an impromptu hiatus, and there's a ton to cover! Kat and Nadia look back on the 20th anniversary of the Dreamcast and Final Fantasy 8, recap the big Nintendo Direct that included a Tokyo Mirage Sessions announcement for Switch, and do a quick Final Fantasy ranking. Then Kat reviews Monster Hunter World: Iceborne and talks about why it's a phenomenal expansion, and why RPG fans should definitely check it out.
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Tokyo RPG Factory takes its third crack at making a successful RPG. Is Oninaki the game that finally puts them over the top? Nadia shares her review! Plus, our impressions of the Dragon Quest 11 demo on Switch, and a big ol mailbag in which we talk about RPG tragedies, the rare SSI Gold Box game on Genesis, and much more.
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It's a busy week on Axe of the Blood God as Kat and Nadia share their respective impressions of Witcher 3 on Switch and Grandia HD, and also sneak in a little more Fire Emblem: Three Houses chatter for good measure. Then it's on to the Console RPG Quest for the Sega Genesis, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Phantasy Star, Shining Force, the Sega CD... Kat and Nadia celebrate an amazing RPG legacy!
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In the wake of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Kat is joined by Caty McCarthy and Eric Van Allen to talk about the best RPG romances. Which games do it best? What are their secrets? And most importantly of all... Triss or Yennefer?
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The Game Boy's 30th anniversary is upon us, and as it happen, it's the next stop in our ongoing Console RPG Quest! Kat and Nadia reflect on their time with the tiny handheld, the incredible RPGs that it spawned, and how it transcended its humble origins to become one of the most important platforms ever. Plus, Kat reports back after playing The Outer Worlds, and she has more thoughts on the ongoing Pokemon National Dex controversy.
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Kat is joined by GameSpot's Kallie Plagge and Gamesbeat's Mike Minotti to review Fire Emblem: Three Houses. With Three Houses now out in the wild, the spoiler limiters are officially OFF for this big review roundtable! Kat, Kallie, and Mike talk about how their playthroughs went and what they thought about the end, plus topics including the combat, romances, and more!
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Mike Williams returns to the show to review the new Switch exclusive action RPG, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, as well as to provide his long overdue thoughts on the new Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers expansion. In the spirit of Comic-Con, there's also a bunch of talk about the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Plus, Nadia and Kat talk a little more about Fire Emblem: Three Houses!
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After a bit of a drought, Nadia and Kat finally have some new RPGs to play! Kat is busy playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and she thoughts on its battle system, how the academy system works, and whether it successfully makes the transition to console. Meanwhile, Nadia has a review of Dragon Quest Builders 2! Plus: The pair talk about whether they're picking up the Switch Lite, and why it means big things for Pokemon.
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With Kat on vacation, Nadia and special guest host Ray Barnholt bust out the gasoline and matches and make a huge fire. Then they sit beside the flames and have a nice chat about non-RPGs franchises that were made into RPGs. Turns out not every RPG spin-off can match the quality of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, though.
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Kat and Nadia didn't quite do the PC Engine's RPG legacy justice with their last episode, so they circle back to talk about one of its best franchises: Cosmic Fantasy! Plus, Kat shares her thoughts on the Golden Saucer, Dyne, the politics of North Corel, and more. Plus: Full reviews of Slay the Spire and Bloodstained!
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The Console RPG Quest returns as Kat and Nadia examine the RPG legacy of a console that has been in the headlines lately: The TurboGrafx-16! They talk about the success of Far East of Eden, the outsized impact of Nihon Falcom on its RPG library, its success in Japan, and more! Plus, Kat has an update on her Final Fantasy 7 playthrough, and Nadia talks about the release of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night!
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E3 2019 is over at last, and Caty is ready with her report from the field. She joins Nadia and Kat to talk about her impressions after playing Final Fantasy 7 Remake; share her thoughts on the Year of Keanu, and discuss all the rest of the RPGs at E3. Plus, Kat vents over the news that the latest Pokemon generation won't feature the entire Pokedex.
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We got a deeper look at Final Fantasy 7 Remake at E3 2019, and Kat and Nadia are hyped. They react to the updated battle system and talk about all the ways that it successfully captures the spirit of the original. Plus, they talk about Microsoft's lackluster showing, Cyberpunk's surprise Keanu Reeves reveal, and all the rest of the big RPG news from the show!
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E3 2019 is just a week away, and Axe of the Blood God is here with a full preview of all the major storylines and announcements from this years show. What can we expect from the new Xbox? Will Fable put in an appearance? What about that rumored George R.R. Martin game? Nadia and Kat talk about all these, plus Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Cyberpunk, and more!
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The Console RPG Quest continues with a look at the Sega Master System and Game Gear: two consoles that were overshadowed by their competitors from Nintendo but nevertheless gave us some quality RPGs (mostly Phantasy Star). Kat and Nadia and explore Sega's early 8-bit legacy, talk about some of the notable RPGs to appear on each (and the SG-1000, too), and ponder why the Master System's RPG library isn't stronger.
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We covered the early days of Atari and Intellivision, but console RPGs were really born on the NES. Join Kat and Nadia for Part 2 of the Console RPG Quest as they remember the console that gave us some of our greatest RPG franchises: Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Megami Tensei, and more. Why was the NES such fertile ground for RPGs? And do its greatest RPGs still hold up? We answer all of these questions as our epic Console RPG Quest continues.
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Detective Pikachu is now out, and Nadia and Kat are here with their review! Listen as they talk about how well the Pokemon ultimately come out; Bill Nighy, and why it works as a video game movie. Plus, with Final Fantasy 7 Remake finally reemerging, Kat and Nadia share all of their reactions to the new teaser as well as the decision to drop the original battle system. And they welcome a new member to the USG team as well!
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With the Top 25 RPG countdown now complete, it's time for Kat and Nadia to embark on a brand new quest. Enter the Console RPG Quest: a multi-part series that will take us through the history of RPGs large and small. We'll be talking about powerhouses like the SNES and PlayStation 2, but also curiosities like Wonderswan. First up: Colecovision, Intellivision, and Atari 2600! Find out how these early consoles took their first halting steps into the RPG genre in the days before Dragon Quest! Plus, Nadia plays Trails of Cold Steel, we read your letters, and more!
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From Interceptor to Boo, animal buddies have a strong history in RPGs. Kat and Nadia trace their history from the days of Dragon Quest 5 to the present day, discussing their various usages, as well as ranking their five favorites (spoiler: Dogmeat is in there, because Dogmeat is a very good boy). Plus, Kat and Nadia review SteamWorld Quest! Does Image and Form's popular indie series successfully make the transition to card-based RPG? Find out!
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Kat and Nadia go through their extensive mailbag to talk about which popular games deserve RPG spinoffs; BioWare's next-gen plans, and how to introduce people to this wonder and crazy genre that we love. Plus, Joker's translation to Smash Bros., what it means for for Persona 5 on Switch, Final Fantasy X versus X-2, and Kat's long-awaited impressions of Super Robot Wars T!
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Kat abandoned USG to go run with the bulls in Spain, so it's up to Nadia and special guests Anthony John Agnello and John Learned to keep the show afloat (they are both recovering from the black plague; please excuse their coughs). This week, we have a deep and serious discussion about a rumored remake for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past before we talk at length about Final Fantasy 7 on the Switch and its related music bug. Then our conversation smoooothly segues into the challenges of reviewing lengthy games like RPGs. Enjoy, and don't trust any dolphin that offers to let you jump off its stupid pointed face.
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The Top 25 RPG Countdown is officially finished! But there are a whole bunch of amazing RPGs we didn't get a chance to cover. From Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door, to Final Fantasy Tactics, to Ultima Underworld, Nadia and Kat talk about the best of the rest. Also, they dive into the big Anthem expose and what it means for BioWare, and talk about everything they saw at PAX East, including Kat's conversation with The Outer Worlds development team!
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It's Axe of the Blood God's 200th Episode, and also the end of the Top 25 RPG Countdown! To celebrate, Kat and Nadia pick some more bests from RPG history. What's the best RPG soundtrack? How about the best story? The pair go through multiple categories, then finish up by picking the Best RPG of All Time. It's the biggest event in Axe of the Blood God history, so don't miss out!
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Kat and Nadia wrap up GDC by talking Google Stadia and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, a sequel that they're already excited to play. Then it's on to number two on the Top 25 RPG Countdown: Planescape: Torment! Kat and Nadia talk about what made its story so good, why it was the apex of the Golden Age of RPGs, and more. Finally, they delve into a clash of two heavyweights: Final Fantasy 6 and Final Fantasy 7!
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Caty joins Kat to discuss #3 on our Top 25 list of RPGs: Witcher 3! The pair talk its splendid open world, its fantastic writing, and the expert way it handles romances. Kat has even come around on the combat. Plus, Nadia drops by to talk Fire Emblem Heroes, the drug scandal that has engulfed Judgment, and more!
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Final Fantasy 6 is the latest entry in our Top 25 RPG countdown, and in honor of one of the greatest RPGs ever made, it's time to talk about the biggest RPG plot twists! Nadia and Kat talk Star Ocean, Mass Effect and more as they break down some of the biggest plot twists in RPG history, as well whether or not they work. After that, it's time for the main event, as Kat and Nadia talk General Leo, Sabin vs. Sah-bin, letting Cid die, and more in their big Final Fantasy 6 discussion!
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In a special interview episode of Axe of the Blood God, Kat sits down with Red Hook Studios developers Chris Bourassa and Tyler Sigman to talk about the making of Darkest Dungeon, the creation of its iconic characters, and its troubled ports to other platforms. Along the way, she gets some fresh insight into Darkest Dungeon 2, including how Red Hook Studios intends to tackle the story behind its growing universe. Check it out!
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Kotaku's Jason Schreier returns for number five on our Top 25 RPG countdown: Suikoden 2! He joins Kat and Nadia to talk about 108 Stars of Destiny, Iron Chef cooking challenges, Luca Blight vs. Kefka, and much more. Plus, Pokemon Sword and Shield have been announced as the latest Pokemon generation, and Kat and Nadia have thoughts on how it will translate to Switch!
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Kat bids farewell to Reggie Fils-Aime as he heads into a well-deserved retirement, then digs into Anthem alongside guest Mike Williams. And the question is: What the heck happened? The pair talk about its broken loot, mission structure, and other problems, and also some of what it got right. Plus, in what is fast becoming a weekly segment, Kat rants about EA's handling of BioWare.
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Last week's Activision Blizzard layoffs cast a pall over Blizzard, developer of the most successful MMORPG ever made. Kat and Nadia discuss what it all means, why the layoffs were especially brutal, and more. After that, Kat celebrates Final Fantasy 8's anniversary by reminding everyone that it was good, and the pair take a look at the recent Nintendo Direct reveals. Finally, guest Rowan Kaiser returns to talk about #6 on our Top 25 RPG list: Ultima 7! Find out how it revolutionized the open world RPG genre, and why it's still a remarkable game nearly 30 years later.
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With Nadia away, Mike Williams returns for #7 on the Top 25 RPG Countdown list: Fallout! Mike and Kat talk about its amazing writing, the memorable world it created, and why the rest of the Fallout series is still trying to match it to this day. Plus, Mike and Kat go through all of the week's RPG news while talking about how Anthem can avoid the mistakes of BioWare's last online game: Star Wars: The Old Republic.
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The Wii Shop is officially gone, making high-quality versions of everything from Chrono Trigger to Faxanadu much harder to find. Nadia and Kat go through the list to highlight the various affected RPGs (Ogre Battle!), alternative sources for playing them, and of course, why they're worth remembering.
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Having looked back on the history of Kingdom Hearts, it's time to talk about the newest game in the series: Kingdom Hearts 3! Caty, Kat, and Nadia get together to talk about how well it wraps up the story; the updates to the battle system, and its notable lack of Final Fantasy. Plus, Kat shares her thoughts on Anthem, and wonders if BioWare might have botched a key part of its appeal.
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Kat and Nadia are joined by Kingdom Hearts fan Caty McCarthy to look back on the history of the series up until now. How does it reflect animation history, and what the heck is up with that story? We answer these questions and more as we reflect on Tetsuya Nomura's masterpiece (?) til now.
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Kat and Nadia leap back into the Top 25 RPG countdown with the best Dragon Quest of them all: Dragon Quest V! The pair explain why its epic sweep, monster hunting mechanics, and odd (but hilarious) romance system make it a classic. Plus, they cover the big Destiny split, Tales of Vesperia on Switch, and more!
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Kat and Nadia ask five big questions as they preview the year 2019 in RPGs. Will Kingdom Hearts 3 live up to expectations? Will Anthem save BioWare? And what about Persona 5 on Switch. Plus, we talk about some of the smaller RPGs that we're excited to play in the new year (Indivisible!). Will 2019 rebound after a so-so 2018? Let's find out!
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Kat and Nadia conclude 2018 by each choosing their favorite RPG of 2018, as well as a couple underrated gems. Then they do one last mailbag while looking ahead to 2019.
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Kat and the entire USG gang get together to recap all of the best games of 2018! From Red Dead Redemption 2 to Return of the Obra Dinn, we argue over what worked, what didn't work, and whether they match up to the best of 2018. Plus, we talk about the year's biggest trends, and look ahead to 2019!
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Many RPGs were released in 2018. Some of them were good, others were very bad. Kat and Nadia go through the calendar and talk about the high points and low points of an interesting year in RPGs, covering Monster Hunter: World, Octopath Traveler, Fallout 76, and more. Plus: Kat and Nadia recap the announcement of Persona's Joker for Smash Bros., and Kat gets very excited about The Outer Worlds.
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Persona 4 was a transformative RPG in many respects. Persona 5 might be even better. But which one should be represented in our Top 25 RPG Countdown? Kat and Nadia are still torn, so they've decided to hash it out in podcast form, comparing and contrasting their impacts, their immense positives, controversies, and more. Whichever one you support, it's a tribute to two outstanding RPGs. (Note: Major Persona 4 spoilers and some medium Persona 5 spoilers within this discussion).
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Mass Effect and KOTOR are more popular, but Baldur's Gate 2 is BioWare's magnum opus. Guest Troy Goodfellow joins Kat to break down the story, the world, and all the other reasons that this magnificent RPG deserves to be in the Top 10 RPGs of all time. Now available on Spotify!
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It's an RPG double-whammy as Nadia and Kat talk about why Pokemon Let's Go works so well, and reviews editor Mike Williams discusses why Fallout 76... uh... doesn't. It's a mixture of cute cuddly monsters and the post-apocalyptic in an episode that should have something for everyone. Special bonus: We discuss the newly-announced Final Fantasy XIV expansion and the introduction of the Blue Mage!
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On the 15th anniversary of Fire Emblem's release in America, Kat and Nadia remember the first entry to make it overseas. They talk Marth and Roy's first appearance in Smash Bros. Melee, the reasons for Blazing Sword being chosen over Binding Blade, and of course, perma-death. Plus: An investigation into why Smash Bros. fans love Super Mario RPG's Geno, Hajime Tabata's shocking resignation, and more!
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Kat and Nadia talk about some of the announcements from Blizzcon, including a Diablo mobile game, as well as the surprise appearance of Deltarune, the new game by Toby Fox. Then the pair share their impressions of Diablo 3 and talk about why it's such a great fit for Nintendo Switch. Afterward, special guest Matthew Allen comes on the show to add Elder Scrolls: Morrowind to our Top 25 RPGs list! Listen as we discuss why its story was ahead of its time, what made its world so unique, and why it was the end of an era for Bethesda.
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Yee-haw! Red Dead Redemption 2 is here, and Kat and Nadia are here to rank their five favorite RPG cowboys (there are more than you think!) Plus, Kat and Nadia share their impressions of Fallout 76, and Kat talks about her continued neverending quest to finish Persona 5!
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Kat is playing Persona 5... again! She and Nadia discuss her very slow progress through an admittedly great RPG while also taking some time to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Mother 3's fansub. Then special guest John Learned joins Kat and Mike Williams to add Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to our Top 25 RPG list! We talk about why it signaled a sea change in console RPGs, how it popularized BioWare, and why it's still one of the best Star Wars sandboxes around.
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Caty McCarthy returns to talk about The World Ends With You's move to Nintendo Switch, where the group talk about how the controls translate, co-op, playing on the big screen, and the new endgame content. Then Mike Williams joins in to talk about Assassin's Creed Odyssey's bonafides as an RPG, its romantic options, and the troublesome problem of microtransactions.
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It's a week in which Axe of the Blood God pushes the big red button as Nadia returns from her trip to West Virginia to share her experience with Fallout 76. Kat and Nadia talk about what it's like to play solo, the nuclear quest, and whether it fits with the character of the series. Then Kat and Nadia add a new entry to their Top 25 RPG list: Fallout New Vegas! Listen as they talk about Fallout New Vegas' classic quests, its rich history, and the unique choices that help separate it from the rest of the 3D Fallout games.
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Chris Avellone, writer of Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Fallout 2, and Divinity Original Sin 2, joins Kat to talk his newest game, making evil decisions in RPGs, and the state of RPG writing today. But not before Nadia and Kat review Valkyria Chronicles 4, where they discuss the updates to the tactics, the story, and how it plays on Switch!
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With the PlayStation Classic being officially announced, Nadia and Kat discuss the its rich RPG legacy and talk about which games will be announced for it yet (c'mon Valkyrie Profile). Then they continue the Top 25 RPG Countdown with the greatest Pokemon generation of them all: Gold and Silver! Kat and Nadia talk about the magic of Johto, the fun of returning to Kanto, and why it holds up better than any generation to date.
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A lot of Final Fantasy games just got announced for Switch. Final Fantasy VIII is not one of them. Nadia and Kat discuss its relative merits and discuss why it's getting ignored, plus delve a bit into some of the other announcements (like Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles!) Then legendary RPG developer Brian Fargo returns to talk Wasteland 2, Bard's Tale 4, the changing landscape of indie development, and his shifting attitude on Nintendo Switch.
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Kat and Nadia are here to offer their spoiler-less review of Dragon Quest XI! Is it really just "more Dragon Quest VIII?" How does the cast stack up? And what about that music? The pair have plenty of thoughts on the latest entry in the series. Plus: Bob Mackey returns to add Earthbound to our Top 25 RPG list!
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We take our Top 25 RPG countdown LIVE to PAX West, where we talk Renegade vs. Paragon, Male Shepard vs. Female Shepard, Kaidan vs. Ashley, and laugh along to the infamous alien sex scene. Special guests: Waypoint's Austin Walker, Vidjagame Apocalypse's Matthew Allen, and USG reviews editor Mike Williams!
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Mike Williams returns to talk about his massive history of World of WarCraft on USgamer, as well as to share his thoughts on the latest expansion. Then Nadia and Kat go over number 17 on their ongoing countdown of the Top 25 RPGs: Deus Ex! Find out why this groundbreaking PC RPG deserves to be counted among the greatest ever.
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Nadia and Kat take a break from the Top 25 RPG countdown to talk about what they miss from classic RPGs. Remember overworlds? Large party sizes? Fricking cloth maps? The pair reminisce about those old school features and more in this nostalgia laden episode of Axe of the Blood God.
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Kat is once again joined by Retronauts host Jeremy Parish to explore the history of RPGs. This time they dive into PLATO, Wizardry, and Bard's Tale as they explore about the rise of the "second wave" of RPGs in the 1980s. Then David Craddock returns to talk about #18 on our Top 25 RPG Countdown: Diablo 2!
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1UP alum Shane Bettenhausen joins Kat to talk about the best Genesis RPG ever: Phantasy Star IV! Plus, Nadia and Kat talk about space RPGs, what sets them apart from their counterparts in other subgenres, and wonder why theren't more of them.
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Kat is joined by Hirun Cryer to review Banner Saga 3. Does it effectively close the epic tactical RPG series? How does the gameplay hold up? And is being depressing necessarily a bad thing? Then Divinity: Original Sin 2 writer Kevin VanOrd and Gamesbeat's Jason Wilson join us to discuss number 20 in our Top 25 RPG Countdown: Divinity: Original Sin! Find out why this 2014 sleeper hit deserves to be considered a modern classic.
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Kat is joined by Mike Williams and Vidjagame Apocalypse co-host Matthew Allen to discuss number 21 on our Top 25 RPG Countdown: World of WarCraft! They talk about its RPG roots, why it changed MMORPGs forever, and why it continues to command a loyal audience to this day. Then Kat and Nadia respond to some of the more heated feedback from last episode's Octopath Traveler review.
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GameXplain co-host Derrick Bitner joins Kat and Nadia to review Octopath Traveler. Do the sprites match the quality of the environments? Which character did each host pick first? And can Nadia and Derrick convince Kat to upgrade from Prologue? Then, Kat is joined by guest Ryan Allen to add Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines to the Top 25 RPG countdown. They talk about how it's risen above its troubled development history, its amazing roleplaying possibilities, and why it's still supported by a cadre of dedicated fans to this day.
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Nadia shares her initial impressions of Octopath Traveler, including the battle system, the graphics, and more. Then David Craddock returns to talk about Nethack, its remarkable support through the years, and tales of YASDs.
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Our old friend Jeremy Parish returns to discuss the first entry in his new series about the history of RPGs, which covers Ultima, Teletype RPGs, and Richard Garriott's early programming experiments. Then we dive into number 24 on our Top 25 RPGs of All Time countdown: Tactics Ogre! We talk about its rich storyline, excellent tactics, and what sets it apart from its successor Final Fantasy Tactics (which is also great). Find out why Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is yet another underrated RPG gem!
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It's finally time! Kat and Nadia commence Axe of the Blood God's countdown of the Best 25 RPGs with an in-depth discussion of number 25 on our list! We discuss its history, what makes it stand out, some of its best moments, and ultimately why it holds up. Don't miss out! Plus, we're joined by GameXplain's Ash Paulsen to talk about Ys VIII's Switch port and its ongoing localization woes.
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Kat and Nadia wrap up E3 2018 with a discussion of Valkyria Chronicles 4's Switch port, Fallout 76, Cyberpunk 2077, and more! Does Pokemon Let's Go prove that we no longer need random encounters in Pokemon? Are we okay with Cyberpunk 2077 being a shooter? How awesome does Fire Emblem look? And what's it like to be in the same room as Tetsuya Nomura? All that as we also announce a new weekly feature for the second half of 2018!
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It's officially E3 2018, and Nadia and Kat are here to break down the first run of announcements! They talk about Square Enix's missed opportunity, Kingdom Hearts 3's new trailer, Cyberpunk 2077, Shadows Die Twice, Elder Scrolls 6, and Starfield, then share what they want to see from Sony and Nintendo.
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Kat and Nadia talk about Pokemon Let's Go, why the Kanto Pokedex is overrated, and what they would like out of Gen 8 on the Switch (hint: it's not another new region). Then they dive into Fallout 76 and Moonlighter, with asides into Stardew Valley and Battletech. Join them!
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Doc Burford returns to review Pillars of Eternity 2 with Kat. How does the sequel to Obsidian's cult favorite isometric RPG stack up to the original? Find out in this spoiler-free discussion! Plus, Kat and Doc wax poetic over Dragon Age: Origins, preview Disco Elysium, and ponder how to make detective RPGs work.
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Kat is officially back! And she and Nadia celebrate by talking Pokemon leaks, the first hands-on with Kingdom Hearts 3, and SMT Strange Journey Redux! Can you believe that Kingdom Hearts 3 is actually coming out? We can't either!
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Kat's on vacation for a few seconds more, so it's Anthony and Nadia again, along with special guest John Learned! This week, the trio talks about the excellent features John wrote for USgamer about Final Fantasy XII and Vagrant Story's localizations [4:00], the big news about Nintendo Switch Online and how it might pertain to RPGs [8:45], and what we hope to see at Square-Enix's E3 2018 press conference [22:10] before launching into our main topic: The gem that is Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow [43:46].
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Kat had the nerve to take a vacation, so Nadia drags out a ghost-editor from her history as a freelancer, Anthony John Agnello, and orders him to co-host this week. They talk about old times before diving into the sad state of game preservation and how the Wii U's diminishing presence is adding to the problem [5:20]. Then Anthony wonders if Montreal Eidos working on the Shadow of the Tomb Raider means we'll never see a Deus Ex game again (and Nadia proves how alert she is by mixing up Eidos and Ubisoft) [15:20]. The duo celebrate the beautiful RPG / beat-em-up hybrid, Dragon's Crown Pro, featuring the peerless art of the mad god George Kamitami [36:20] before launching into their wish list of untouchable RPGs that are lost to the future [43:20].
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Kat and Nadia talk about their favorite RPG stories, the impact that art style can have, and many other topics including Persona 5, Radiant Historia, and Bojack Horseman. Then Kat jumps into her guide to Super Robot Wars [27:18]. What is it? How did it start? And more important, which one should you play first? Finally, Kat and Nadia wrap up the Cosmic Star Heroine Report as it launches on PlayStation Vita [51:56].
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Kat and Nadia have discuss Ni No Kuni 2's story and where it went wrong as they wrap up their conversation about Level-5's sequel [22:52]. Plus: The pair talk about Monster Hunter World's new event, Persona 5's gay panic, and even more legendary weapons. Note: Spoilers for NNK2 begin at 22:52 and end at 01:07:16!
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Kat and Nadia delve into Final Fantasy, World of WarCraft, and more to find the best legendary weapons in RPG history. From weapons that helped define their series, to weapons that were impossible to get, to weapons that were simply cool, we survey the RPG landscape for our favorites.
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What do Dragon Quest XI and World of WarCraft have in common? They're two RPGs asking themselves, "What's next?" Kat and Nadia discuss that, Kat's other experiences at PAX East, and her hands-on with Underworld: Ascendant. Plus, we discuss your comments on the 3DS and The Alliance Alive!
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The Alliance Alive is out on 3DS, but it won't be joined by Dragon Quest XI. Kat and Nadia talk about the spiritual successor to Legend of Legacy [5:00] before moving on to the news that Dragon Quest XI will be coming to Steam and PS4, but not the 3DS [25:15]. Is Square Enix making a mistake? And amid the continued stream of "nostalgic JRPGs," what form of JRPG is being underserved?
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Kat returns from a busy week at GDC to talk Bard's Tale and Zanki Zero, as well as to share some of Ultima Online's craziest war stories. Then Nadia and Kat talk about Ni No Kuni 2's insane opening and the tonal whiplash that follows.
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Kat and Nadia settle down to review Ni No Kuni 2! [22:00] How does the combat hold up? Why does the overworld look like it was imported from the PS2? And will Evan Pettiwhisker be the first against the wall when the revolution comes? We have answers to all these questions and more! Plus: The move by triple-A action games to co-op skill trees. Does it work? We discuss!
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Kat and Nadia are joined by RPG enthusiast Anthony Agnello to recap Thursday's Nintendo Direct, including the news that South Park is coming to the Switch, and Dark Souls is getting an Amiibo (at last!). Then the trio talk about what makes Xenoblade Chronicles 2's great (with some spoilers), and why Radiant Historia is an RPG you should play on the 3DS.
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Kat is joined by Demon's Souls experts David Craddock to pay tribute to Demon's Souls as its servers shutdown. Plus, Kat and Nadia rail against the sloppy PC port of Chrono Trigger, and wonder what's in store for Valkyrie Profile. And we finally get to talk about the Final Fantasy XV mobile game, too!
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Kat and Nadia dive into the best RPG endings and why they work [20:00], with the discussion touching on Final Fantasy X, Fallout, Planescape Torment, the Mass Effect games, Breath of Fire, Chrono Trigger, and Valkyrie Profile. Plus, Kat and Nadia debate what Kingdom Come's success means for medieval RPGs, and the pair add a termite to their party in the Cosmic Star Heroine Report.
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Nadia returns from her adventures in Japan to discuss why the Secret of Mana remake doesn't hold up to the original [15:00]. Meanwhile, Kat is playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance [27:00], and she has thoughts on both its attempts to be ultra-realistic and its approach to medieval history: Plus: The Cosmic Star Heroine Report returns! [44:34]
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Kat is joined by guest hosts Caty and Mike to discuss the difficult dance of making meaningful decisions in RPGs, breaking down the endings of Witcher 3, Mass Effect 3, Chrono Trigger, and more in the process. Plus: Kat shares her impressions of Ni No Kuni 2, and Caty and Mike talk about the localization of Yakuza 6!
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We celebrate Panzer Dragoon Saga's 20th Anniversary with Ben Lindbergh, author of The Ringer's massive retrospective on Sega's lost classic [26:10]. We talk about the ways it broke new ground, its complex story, and the miracle of it making it to America at all. Then Kat and Nadia dive back into Cosmic Star Heroine [54:06] and talk more Monster Hunter: World!
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The wandering adventurer Bob Mackey returns to the Blood God to discuss what may already be one of the biggest games of 2018: Monster Hunter World! [27:30] Plus, Kat and Nadia talk about the recent BioWare news, and Kat shares her thoughts after playing the Secret of Mana Remake [16:00]. It all concludes with another installment of the Cosmic Star Heroine Report as Kat and Nadia talk about the big brawl in a night club, a mecha duel, and more [01:02:30].
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Kat and Nadia get together to discuss rumors of a Fable revival from Playground Games [8:16], Fable's legacy of ambition and disappointment, and why you should buy Darkest Dungeon the Switch. Then it's on to the first Cosmic Star Heroine Report [32:04] as our intrepid adventurers discuss the opening hours, the flow of the boss battles, and the big early twist.
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Kat and Nadia dive into the upcoming RPGs of 2018 with previews of Valkyria Chronicles 4, Dragon Quest XI, Pillars of Eternity Deadfire, the World of WarCraft expansion, Monster Hunter World, and much more! Plus: Discussion of Dark Souls on the Switch, The Worlds With You: Final Remix, and Ys VIII.
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What RPGs did Kat and Nadia play over the holidays? Not the ones you might have expected! The pair talk about revisiting Secret of Evermore, Witcher 3, and Darkest Dungeon before officially wrapping up the Final Fantasy IX Report.
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With Nadia out sick, Kat is instead joined by Mike to talk about the year in RPGs, argue about Horizon Zero Dawn, and pick the five essential RPGs of 2017. We've got a lot to cover, from Final Fantasy XIV's expansion to Persona 5 to Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valentia, so buckle up!
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Kat and Nadia talk about the peculiarities of Xenoblade Chronicles 2's battle system, what do with common Blade cores, and more as Kat continues through Chapter 3 of the Switch's new RPG. Then Kat and Nadia discuss Final Fantasy IX's big final battle and conclusion in Final Fantasy IX Report #10!
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Kat and Nadia discuss Breath of the Wild's award-winning night at The Game Awards, the sudden arrival of Champions' Ballad DLC [15:50], and the Romancing Saga 2 announcement [09:05]. Then the pair of them delve into their backlogs as Kat tackles Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for the first time [23:15], and they discuss their initial experiences with NieR Automata [42:34].
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Kat and Nadia team up to talk about the week's biggest RPG news as the bid farewell to Demon's Souls, discuss Bungie's decision to throttle XP gain in Destiny 2, and Final Fantasy XV's ongoing run of DLC. Then they turn to the main topic: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 [22:52] Is the gameplay really too complicated? Are Blades slaves or friends? And what is going on with Pyra? Nadia and Kat cover all that and more in their review. Finally, Kat checks in with an update with Secret of Mana Report #3! [58:56]
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Kat and Nadia celebrate Thanksgiving by talking about what they're grateful for in the RPG space this year (50:50), but not before discussing Sega's surprise Valkyria Chronicles 4 announcement (10:50), Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition, Square Enix's Switch commitment, and more Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. It's a holiday RPG-stravaganza!
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Kat and Nadia talk about a big week for RPG releases as Nadia shares her initial thoughts on the review version of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Kat explains why Pokemon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon should be the last of the updated third versions [29:30]. Then the pair delve into the battle with the Four Fiends and Zidane's big existential crisis with Final Fantasy IX Report #9 [50:28].
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Kat and Nadia talk about Horizon Zero Dawn's new DLC and the advantages of disadvantages of dropping a new adventure into the middle of a story (19:30); Nadia's adventures in Etrian Odyssey V (5:00), and Kat's horrifying revenge in Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Then the pair continue into the Final Fantasy IX Report #8 (35:44) to Dagger's big moment, the horror of Zorn and Thorn, and why the Desert Palace is awful.
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Kat and Nadia get together to discuss the possibility to Yoko Taro directing a Final Fantasy game, recount the checkered history of RPGs on the Xbox (20:00), and dive into the big battle at Alexandria in the latest Final Fantasy IX Report (1:01:20). Bonus: Kat and Nadia share their favorite Halloween candy, because why not?
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Kat and Nadia get together to discuss Kat's recent addition to Destiny 2; the Witcher 3's influence on 2017's biggest games, and the announcement of Shin Megami Tensei 5 before delving into Vivi's search for meaning, the introduction of Eiko, and dwaves in the latest Final Fantasy IX Report. Plus: Kat refuses gender Sprite and complains about Spikey in Secret of Mana Report #2.
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It's a packed episode as Kat and Nadia dive into Etrian Odyssey 5, preview the Secret of Mana Remake, and review South Park. Then Kat and Nadia pick up the Final Fantasy IX Report as they discuss all the references to Final Fantasy IV, another encounter with General Beatrix, the horror of Atomos, and Chocobo Hot & Cold!
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Kat and Nadia talk about loot boxes and their relationship to RPGs and debate the need to redo Ys VIII's localization before moving into a brand new report: The Secret of Mana Report! Join Kat as she talks about her first experience with the combat, earsplitting dwarf music, sneaky sprites, and RPG co-op gameplay (30:06). Then Nadia updates us on Final Fantasy IX as she officially reaches the end of Disc 1! (47:24).
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Kat and Nadia discuss a couple of this week's biggest RPG releases—Dragon's Dogma and Mario & Luigi—as well as Golf Story, then jump into the third Final Fantasy IX Report [16:00]. How cool is that airship chase? What's up with Regent Cid? All that and more. Plus: Kotaku editor and Retronauts contributor Chris Kohler joins us to discuss his adventures in importing Final Fantasy V for his newest book! [38:05]
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Kat and Nadia continue their quest through Final Fantasy IX with the second Final Fantasy IX Report (38:45), share their adventures in acquiring an SNES Classic, and pick the five worst SNES RPGs! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia talk about Final Fantasy XV on the Switch, Monster Hunter World, and Nier: Automata's sales success, then jump into the main topic: Our first Final Fantasy IX report! (13:23). Then Mike joins us to talk about why you should be playing Divinity: Original Sin 2! (35:56) And of course we read your letters! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia go LIVE with their thoughts on all the info from this week's Nintendo Direct, include Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and The Alliance Alive. They also share their impressions on Project Octopath Traveler! Spoiler: They like it! In the second segment, David Craddock returns to share tales from the dawn of the RPG age from his new book about the Apple II (37:36), and Kat and Nadia pick more Perfect RPG Teams! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show.
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Kat and Nadia welcome back Josh Sawyer and Feargus Urquhart for a Fallout New Vegas retrospective that delves into why it's such a beloved cult classic (35:42), while also talking about South Park's amusing difficulty sliders, Tyranny's underwhelming expansion, and what Final Fantasy VII means in 2017.
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show.
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Legendary RPG designer Josh Sawyer returns to dive deep into Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire's story, premise and multi-classing (18:30), but not before Kat has a healthy rant about NBA 2K18's stats progression and Nadia talks about the RPGs revealed at the Nindies event. Plus: Another Perfect RPG Party! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show.
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Kat and Nadia talk about the weirdness of Assassins' Creed x Final Fantasy (which is indeed a real thing), then count down the biggest RPGs of Fall 2017! (22:00) Pokemon! Xenoblade Chronicles 2! South Park! We discuss them all and pick the ones we're most excited to play. Plus: We read your perfect RPG parties! (01:06:10)
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show.
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What party would Kat and Nadia build if they could take any character from any RPG ever? That's what they explore in this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God! (18:00). Also, Nadia recounts her trip to Otakon, the pair praise Undertale (6:45), and they read comments from last week's deep dive into RPG battle systems! (48:16) Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show.
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Friend of the podcast Steve Tramer returns to have an honest discussion about Persona 5's flaws and extol the virtues of NieR Automata (12:26). Then the pair dive into this episode's main topic: battle systems! (27:00) Kat and Steve discuss the evolution of RPG battle systems; what defines them; notable systems throughout history, and of course, their favorites.
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show.
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Kat and Nadia get together to discuss Dragon Quest XI's confirmation for North America, the push toward even more Persona spinoffs (13:00), and thoughts after playing the Final Fantasy XV Multiplayer Beta (24:00). And as always, we read your comments for the show!
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show.
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The USgamer Podcast is back and we're sharing the first episode with our Axe of the Blood God listeners! Kat, Nadia, Caty, and Mike get together to talk Splatoon 2 (4:00), the NHL 18 Beta (11:00), Fortnite (17:00), and the ongoing SNES Classic Game by Game (26:00) in the return of the USgamer podcast. There's also quick hit headlines (34:18) and this week's topic: What we want in sequels. Make sure to tune in and subscribe as we update every week!
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show.
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Kat, Nadia, and guest Caty McCarthy get together to discuss Final Fantasy XV's weird new multiplayer (2:00), rag on Miitopia (12:45), and review Pyre (26:14). That's all leading up to the main topic: The 10th anniversary of The World Ends With You! (36:30). Why is Square Enix's cult RPG such a beloved favorite after all these years? We discuss!
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show.
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Kat and Nadia finally wrap up their Chrono Trigger (22:00) and Persona 4 Golden (47:36) reports, but not before diving into Final Fantasy XII and (gasp) Kingdom Hearts 3. It's a historic first for the Blood God as we go LIVE!
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia dive into "The Pokemon Mystery Files," Ni No Kuni 2's delay, and an old man yellling at Fallout 4 before reviewing Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (28:54). In the process, they investigate a huge "what-if" for Final Fantasy XII that might have affected Square Enix's past decade. Afterward, they answer the most pertinent question: what's the best JRPG battle system?
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia band together once more to talk about the Breath of the Wild DLC and a recent interview with Nihon Falcom president Toshiro Kondo. Then Mike Williams comes aboard to review Stormblood, and to talk about the state of MMORPGs in general (30:42). And, of course, we've got more listener mail! (1:06:00).
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia break down the RPGs of the SNES Classic, talk about the latest batch of Final Fantasy XV's DLC (24:30), and lament the utter failure of Valkyria Revolution (37:40).
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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With E3 2017 done and dusted, Kat and Nadia settle in to talk about the Terra Battle sequels (03:00), Pillars of Eternity moving to console (14:10), Final Fantasy XIV's Stormblood expansion (19:30), and .hack's HD remaster (23:00). Then they break down Ever Oasis, the new RPG by the director of Secret Mana (33:50) and dive into listener comments! (49:00).
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia recap all of the big announcements from the past week at E3 including Anthem (3:00), the announcement that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will be out this year (9:35), a new Pokemon generation for the Switch (50:00), and more. Plus: Lots of talk about Yakuza and Etrian Odyssey 5!
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia talks about Game Freak's decision to favor the 3DS over the Switch with Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (05:50), Kotaku's report on the woes of Mass Effect Andromeda (25:45) and the leak of Etrian Odyssey 5's localization (34:00). Then Kat and Nadia preview E3 2017 (45:06) and Kat goes on an epic rant about why she misses the days when there were only 493 Pokemon (1:04:00).
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia get together to discuss Indivisible's move to the Switch (5:00), the Monster Hunter XX announcement (11:40), and where I Am Setsuna went wrong (23:22). Then Mike Williams returns to discuss Elder Scrolls Online's new Morrowind expansion and MMORPGs in general (37:30). And of course: more reader comments!
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia talk about the Final Fantasy VII Remake (4:20), Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen (8:55), and Divinity Original Sin 2 (17:20) before diving into a brand new Chrono Trigger Report (22:20). Plus: Even more reader responses! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia talk about the importance of NPCs in the context of Destiny 2 (1:00), review Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (7:30), and offer their impressions after a couple weeks with Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (26:10). Plus we read your responses to last week's Skyrim discussion! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia share Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valentia impressions (5:00) and rant about Skyrim topping Game Informer's Top 100 RPGs of All Time list (22:00), then welcome news editor Matt Kim and his pitch for Nier: Automata being the Game of the Year in a year that has thus far included... a lot of good games (37:08). Listen and let the power of the Blood God flow through you!
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia use the latest episode of the RPG podcast to cover a wide range of topics, including Morrowind's 15th anniversary (01:00), Nadia's initial thoughts on Persona 5 (5:20), Deep Learning AI in RPGs (18:15), Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadow of Valentia's expensive DLC (33:15) and, of course, our review of Trails in the Sky the 3rd. Plus, we read your responses to our deep dive into RPG dungeons!
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia delve deep into RPG dungeons this week (30:44), where they talk about their origins, their purposes, and what makes them enjoyable. They also share some of their favorites! Also in this episode, Kat and Nadia discuss Ian Bogost's recent argument that games shouldn't have stories. Naturally, as RPG fans, Kat and Nadia have Thoughts. Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia get together to discuss Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valentia (2:00) before being joined by Cosmic Star Heroine creator Robert Boyd for a discussion of the trials and travails of developing an indie RPG (28:00). Bonus: The penultimate Persona 4 Golden Report! (14:00). Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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It's Axe of the Blood God's 100th episode, and after a quick discussion about Dragon Quest XI, Kat and Nadia use the occasion to talk about their history with the genre and why it means so much to them (14:10). Afterward, Caty drops in to share some thoughts of her (55:14), and we hear from you the listener on why RPGs are just the best. Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Read more at http://bloodgodpod.libsyn.com/#KqJoKWyobFJtjhLp.99
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Kat and Nadia get together to talk about the possibility of Seiken Densetsu 3 getting an official English release on Switch (1:04), then talk about their progress through Breath of the Wild (12:40), Persona 5's harsh streaming guidelines (31:52), and, of course, another Persona 4 Golden Report (47:42). Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat is joined by Nadia and Caty for another Persona 4 Golden Report (20:34), Persona 5 chatter (42:34, no spoilers), and a look at the Final Fantasy XV DLC (03:00). Then Destiny superfan Doc Burford drops by to sell us all of on his favorite shooter and talk about the recent Destiny 2 trailer (01:14:44).
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat is joined by special guest Rowan Kaiser this week for a spoiler-free discussion on what's gone wrong with Mass Effect Andromeda (24:05), as well as to look back on the original trilogy. Plus, Kat and Rowan finally get a chance to talk about the RPG that fell between the cracks of this crazy release season -- Torment: Tides of Numenera! (00:30)
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This week's episode of Nadia and Kat goofing on Mass Effect Andromeda's odd animation problems (1:00) before returning to Persona 4 (10:45) and Chrono Trigger (26:27). Then Caty returns to talk Nier Automata (41:00) and which Shin Megami Tensei games to play after Persona 5 (1:04:30). It's a double helping of RPG goodness! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Read more at http://bloodgodpod.libsyn.com/#jCljPgi1Kg43opvc.99
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Kat and Nadia talk about their experiences with the Nintendo Switch (1:00), then dive deep into a discussion of Breath of the Wild covering its differences from previous games, its difficulty, its RPG elements, and much more (21:40). Suffice it to say we really like it! Minor spoilers up to the point where you might head to your first dungeon.
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat invites friend of the pod Steve Tramer aboard to talk about Horizon Zero Dawn's quest design (04:20) before taking a deep dive back into Final Fantasy XV (10:30). Then Kat shares another Chrono Trigger Report (44:50), after which the two ping through Nier (01:08:35), the Switch (01:12:20), and Night in the Woods (01:19:30). Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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USgamer's new reviews editor Caty McCarthy joins Kat and Nadia to talk Persona 3 (04:40) and Horizon Zero Dawn (22:20). Then Kat and Nadia have a frank conversation about review scores (40:15) before ending with a warm and fuzzy conversation about Chrono Trigger (47:00).
Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show!
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Kat and Nadia discuss Teddy's big reveal in their latest Persona 4 Golden Report, then talk about the ways in which microtransactions corrupt RPGs in Fire Emblem Heroes.
00:00 Intro
05:12 Personal 4 Golden Report: Teddy's Big Reveal
14:42: Fire Emblem Heroes
44:38: Nioh
01:17:00 Outro
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Kat shares her experiences with the Switch and Horizon Zero Dawn, Nadia rants about the absence of Final Fantasy VII Remake, and the pair deliver their verdict on whether Kat should play Persona 3 Portable or Chrono Trigger while on the road.
0:00 Intro
02:00 Nintendo Switch Impressions and Zelda Escape Room 15:18: Persona 4 Golden Report
31:40 Where is Final Fantasy VII Remake?
38:45 BioWare's New IP
45:00 Horizon Zero Dawn
55:58: Chrono Trigger or Persona 3 Portable? The Vedict!
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Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show.
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Kat and Nadia discuss the recently announced Pillars of Eternity sequel, life after Pokemon Bank, and Dragon Quest VIII before hopping into an interview with Brian Fargo about Torment: Tides of Numenera!
02:39 Persona 4 Golden Report
18:06 Pillars of Eternity Sequel
22:40 Pokemon Bank!
31:26 Dragon Quest VIII and Kat's Next RPG
38:47: Torment: Tides of Numera Interview
59:54: Wrap-up and contact info
Read more at http://usgamer.net!
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet!
Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show. Read more at http://bloodgodpod.libsyn.com/#JY7carkKlAHRJMA1.99
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Kat and Nadia goof on one another for their travails in Final Fantasy IV and Persona 4 Golden (and talk about curry) before settling down to look at the Switch's announced RPG lineup and its long-term prospects. After that, it's on to Fire Emblem as Kat lays out the franchise's decline and subsequent revival and talks about the newly-announced games.
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Kat and Nadia welcome Polygon's Matt Leone discuss everything we learned from his mammoth oral history of Final Fantasy VII. Uematsu was jealous of Suikoden? Square almost killed off the entire cast? There are a lot of great revelations, and a ton of ground to cover in his outstanding piece of history, and we discuss it all here. Plus! Another Persona 4 Golden Report and the untimely death of Scalebound.
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Kat and Nadia conduct another Persona 4 Golden Report, talk some Final Fantasy IV, then settle into a discussion of the most interesting RPGs of 2017. Persona 5! Mass Effect Andromeda! Horizon Zero Dawn! South Park! Torment: Tides of Numenera! It's going to be another great year for RPGs, so join us as we talk about the ones we're looking forward to the most!
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Kat and Nadia get together to recap all of the most interesting RPGs before picking the Blood God's Chosen RPG of 2016. Pokemon! Final Fantasy XV! Fire Emblem Fates! Dragon Quest VII! Deus Ex! Witcher 3! We hit them all and more as we relive the past year in RPGs.
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Mike Williams joins Kat and Nadia to explain why he thinks Knights of the Old Republic is the best Star Wars game ever made. Then, Nadia shares a Persona 4 update before the pair talk Valkyria Revolution, SD Gundam, and the Switch's specs. All of the teraflops? All of the teraflops.
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Nadia returns to the show to share some opening thoughts on Persona 4 Golden, speculate on Ni No Kuni 2, and take a dice into SD Gundam Generation Genesis. Then it's back to Final Fantasy XV as the pair read your thoughts and discuss the Square Enix's decision to patch certain elements of the story.
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Polygon's Phil Kollar and long-time JRPG enthusiastic Miguel Concepcion join Kat to go in-depth on Final Fantasy XV. Does the open-world world? Is that combat actually better than it seems? And what music did they listen to while cruising around in the Regalia? (Spoiler: Kat liked Final Fantasy IX). It's been a long-time coming, but it's time to finally dig in to the game we never thought would come out. End times, my friends. End times.
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Kat and Nadia recall their misspent youths playing RPGs over Thanksgiving, then delve into the Vita's secret strengths and rumors of Pokemon Stars for the Nintendo Switch, before finishing off with a discussion of which Pokemon is the best to start with. Grab a leftover turkey sandwich and settle in for another hour of RPG discussion over the holiday weekend.
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Kat and Nadia recount Conan O'Brien's Clueless Gamer segment on Final Fantasy XV and discuss the latest Persona 5 delay, then dive deep into Pokemon Sun and Moon. Is the story successful? How are the totem battles? Do we like the new monsters? And just how glad are we that HMs are finally dead? (Spoiler: We're really glad). Note: Spoilers begin at the 44:15 mark and end at the 1:04:10 mark of the episode!
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Kat and Nadia put aside their post-election gallows humor to discuss the recent Mass Effect Andromeda info dump, the first hours of Tyranny, and what RPGs they would like to see from the villain's point of view. Plus, our Underrated RPG Pitches segment return with a pitch for Grandia 2!
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Nadia and Kat have a lot to rant about as they take on Skyrim Special Edition, Exist Archive, and what accessibility means for the RPG genre. Does Skyrim hold up? Does Exist Archive deserve to called a spiritual successor to Valkyrie Profile? All of this and more!
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Legendary RPG designer Brian Fargo joins the pod to discuss Wasteland 3, his history with the series, the evolution of RPGs, and what it was like to make games back in the '80s. But first, Jeremy and Nadia go in-depth on Final Fantasy XV. Do the characters work? Is the battle system better than advertised? All of our impressions and more!
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Kat and Nadia go in-depth on Nintendo's newest console. Is it the heir to the Japanese market? Can it go toe-to-toe with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4? And just how excited are we to play Skyrim on the road? All this and more as take a deep dive into the Nintendo Switch. Plus: We discuss the demos for World of Final Fantasy and Pokemon Sun and Moon!
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Nadia and Kat share some additional thoughts on Dragon Quest Builders, then Kat talks about her hands-on experience Pokemon Sun & Moon and how it's coming along. In the second segment, they puzzle over a potential teaser for Bravely Third before taking yet another underrated RPG pitch. Exciting!
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Kat and Nadia make their first foray into Dragon Quest Builders, examine Darkest Dungeon's foray onto console, and heap (deserved) praise on Steamworld Heist. Then Bob drops by to share his thoughts on Yo-Kai Watch and the possibility of VR RPGs.
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Kat and Nadia share some more thoughts on Persona 5's import version, discuss the Wasteland 3 announcement, and revisit the merits of Dragon Quest on mobile. Then, at 31:15, Bryan Wiedey of pastapadre.com joins the pod to talk about the advent of story modes in sports sims and why they are putting a greater emphasis on roleplaying than ever.
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Elliot Gay returns to share his thoughts on the first 40 (!) hours of Persona 5, then sticks around to offer his opinion on Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse and Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers. It's a Japanese import extravaganza!
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Kat and Nadia get together to discuss a remake that's been a long time coming in North America: Dragon Quest VII. What's the story like? Does it improve on the flawed PSX version? And how long does it take to get to an actual battle? All that and more! Plus: Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander and Trails of Cold Steel 2 feedback!
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Kat and Nadia take a look at Trails of Cold Steel 2, then Kat takes an Underrated RPG pitch for her favorite RPG of all time: Valkyrie Profile. Afterward (38:38), Jaz and Mike drop by to discuss the pros and cons of the newly-released World of WarCraft: Legion.
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Kat, Nadia, and Bob continue their ongoing "SNES in Perspective" series with the big one: Final Fantasy. How did the SNES change Final Fantasy and vice versa? What was it about the 16-bit era that seemed to find Hironobu Sakaguchi and company at their best? We discuss! Plus: We delve into Fallout 4's Nuka-World DLC and God Eater!
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Kat and Bob get together to discuss the little known SNES RPG Robotrek, then Kat welcomes Chris Avellone and Swen Vincke to discuss Divinity: Original Sin 2 - the sequel to 2014's breakout hit RPG.
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Kat and Nadia chat about some of the latest RPG news (and lament Ash's Pokemon League failures) before diving into the Super Nintendo's impact on the Seiken Densetsu series (20:15) and discussing another underrated RPG pitch (45:35).
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Kat and Bob get together to pay their respects to Manabu Daishima, talk about Dragon Quest X on the NX and how it's still alive (02:50), true tales of localization hell (12:15), how the move to the SNES affected Dragon Quest (26:07), and more pitches for underrated RPGs (49:10).
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Kat and Nadia mark the final days before the next storm of games hit by discussing Ys: Oath in Felghana; Kat's difficulty in engaging with Witcher 3 (12:40); why Dragon Age Inquisition is underrated (25:25); the Pokemon Go controversy's impact on the main series (37:20), and listener pitches for lesser-known RPGs (53:13). It's a summer RPG feast!
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JRPG nerds unite as Kotaku's Jason Schreier joins Kat and Nadia for this week's episode of the podcast. The trio begin by discussing Trails of Cold Steel before moving on to reviewing I Am Setuna (19:30) - the new RPG by Square Enix's Tokyo RPG Factory. Does it live up to expectations? Listen and find out!
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On this week's Kat-less episode, Bob, Mike, and Nadia dive into the many RPG releases of the next few months while lamenting their lack of free time.
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Pokemon Go mania has gripped the Internet, but not Bob Mackey, who is this week's guest. Kat and Bob debate the merits of Pokemon Go, then review Monster Hunter Generations (24:00) in this monster-filled episode of our RPG podcast.
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Kat once again teams up with the crew from 8-4 Play to discuss the progress JRPGs have made over the past 10 years. How has Japanese game development changed, and where is it going? We crack open a chuhai and delve into a tumultuous period in the genre's history.
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Kat, Bob, and Nadia discuss Final Fantasy's latest turn on mobile and review the new Star Ocean (15:40) before moving on to discuss the best RPGs through the first half of 2016 (33:56). Odin Sphere, Dark Souls, Fire Emblem Fates, and more!
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With E3 2016 now behind them, Kat and Nadia talk about why RPGs struggle to demo well at big events before jumping into a discussion of Grand Kingdom - the new tactics RPG from NISA. Then, in the second segment, Mike joins the crew to extol the virtues of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.
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Kat, Jeremy, and Mike come together to discuss RPGs including Horizon: Zero Dawn, Persona 5, Dragon Quest Builds, and of course, Zelda in their post-E3 wrapup show. Lots and lots of RPGs to cover as the USG crew finishes up yet another E3!
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Angels sound from on high as Square Enix finally announces the Final Fantasy XII HD Remake, and our fearless leader Jeremy Parish drops by to share his love for one of the franchise's most controversial games. Then Elliot Gay returns to discuss why American anime fans should be excited about Super Robot War V (23:33), and Nadia and Kat revisit Odin Sphere Leifthrasir (49:10) in this packed pre-E3 episode.
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It's a packed episode this week as Kat and Nadia revisit Bravely Second and Dragon Quest Monster Joker 2, offer initial thoughts on Odin Sphere Leifthrasir (27:00), discuss the campaign to revive Suikoden (33:40), and examine how Valkyria Chronicles and Persona delve into Jewish persecution and gender roles respectively (48:26). For more content like this check us out at http://usgamer.net!
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Nadia, Bob, and Kat share all of their favorite things from 30 years of Dragon Quest while also getting input from the fans. Favorite monsters, favorite moments, and of course, our favorite games - it's a podcast of love and positivity for a foundational JRPG. Plus: Mike drops by to talk Witcher 3 and Fallout 4 DLC.
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Kat, Nadia, and Bob talk about the latest RPG news, including the announcement of Yo-Kai Watch 2 and the appearance of Oblivion PSP footage, then take a trip back to 1996 to revisit Mario RPG and Square Enix's subsequent break with Nintendo.
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Kat and Nadia revisit Valkyria Chronicles, which is getting remastered for the PlayStation 4, discuss the recent Persona 5 news, and talk about the lost RPG franchises that they miss the most.
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What are the best RPG boss fights? And what makes a good RPG boss fight in the first place? Nadia and returning guest Steve Tramer join Kat to dissect this crucial aspect of creating a good roleplaying game.
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Nadia joins Kat to discuss Bravely Second, the sequel to the surprise hit retro RPG. How does it stack up to its predecessor? What is it about retro RPGs that seems to inspire so much passion in its fans? And has the series finally managed to win Kat over? All these answers and more, plus a Twitter mailbag.
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Kat returns to host a review roundtable with Dark Souls experts Bob Mackey and Phil Kollar of Polygon, with topics including the new combat abilities, questions about linearity, covenants, and whether the series is feeling a tiny bit of franchise fatigue.
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Nadia joins Kat to discuss Final Fantasy XV's release date, the Brotherhood anime, and the Platinum Demo. Is this real life? Or is this just fantasy? We'll know soon enough. Kat and Nadia also take the time to catch up on the surprise Steam hit Stardew Valley - a farming sim with some deep JRPG roots.
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Nadia and guest John Learned join Kat to discuss Salt & Sanctuary from the point of a view of both a Dark Souls fan and a non-fan. Then director Brian Heins talks about the concept behind Obsidian's new RPG, the decision to reduce party size, and how it will build on what Pillars of Eternity started.
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Steve Tramer returns for a special GDC episode in which he and Kat discuss Square Enix's I Am Setuna, the newly-revealed Tyranny, XCOM 2, and the pros and cons of VR as it relates to RPGs. Pokken Tournament makes an appearance as well!
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Nadia and Bob join Kat to discuss our recent Legend of Zelda rankings and share their favorite games in the series. Plus, we delve once again into the Odin's Sphere remake, Pokken Tournament, and the news that another Pokemon mobile game is on the way.
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Obsidian's Josh Sawyer joins Kat to reflect on Pillars of Eternity a year later, explain his approach to RPG design, discuss the development of the expansions, and talk about what's next for Obsidan.
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Kat and Nadia discuss how Pokemon got them into anime, recall the Pokemon Black and Lavender Town creepypastas, and share some of their favorite monsters on the 20th anniversary of Pokemon Red and Green's release in Japan.
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Mike and Kat discuss map design, crazy King Garon, and the difference between Birthright and Conquest in their in-depth review of Fire Emblem Fates. Afterward, Nadia explains to Kat why she ended up digging Project X Zone 2.
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Can an RPG succeed on mobile? Has Breath of Fire held up in the years since its 2016 heyday? Kat and Nadia ponder these questions and more as Breath of Fire 3 and Final Fantasy IX make their triumphant return. Plus: The mailbag returns!
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Stiv Tramer returns to discuss the possibility of an official localization for Mother 3, then delves deep into the nature of narrative in RPGs. What are the different types of RPG stories? What are some of the tools that developers use to craft a good RPG story? And what are some of our favorite stories? We answer all of these questions and more as we take a deep dive into RPG narratives.
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GamesBeat's Jason Wilson joins Kat to discuss the merits of Square Enix's latest foray into the Monster Hunter genre, then Bob drops by to share this thoughts on Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam and Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen.
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Red Hook Studios designer Tyler Sigman talks about how the art and design of Darkest Dungeon has come together over the past year, as well where his new RPG stands at release and where it's going. Read more at USgamer.
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Elliot Gay returns to talk about the RPGs that are big in Japan, including SMT x Fire Emblem and Odin Sphere. We also cover what's coming out for the rest of the year, and go more in depth with Trails of Cold Steel.
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What are the most intriguing RPGs of 2016? Bob and Mike join Kat to discuss Persona 5, Final Fantasy XV, and all the rest of the most exciting RPGs of the new year.
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What are the best RPGs of 2015? What were our main takeaways from this year in roleplaying games? Bob, Mike, Kat, and newcomer Nadia Oxford all share their thoughts on what has been a packed year for our favorite genre.
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This past weekend brought with it a ton of RPG news, and Bob and Kat are here to review it alongside special guest John Learned. What does the gang think about Final Fantasy VII going episodic? Can Ni No Kuni 2 improve on the original? And what does The Old Hunters mean for Bloodborne? All this and more as we barrel toward the end of 2015.
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Polygon's Phil Kollar is back to help Kat recount the journey from Xenogears to Xenoblade Chronicles X, then the two break down the latest from Tetsuya Takahashi and Monolith Soft. We also have another question of the week! Which RPG have we invested the most time into? Kat and Phil discuss.
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Kat and Bob are joined by Polygon's Phil Kollar to discuss Fallout 4's opening, the sometimes confusing mechanics, and the case of the missing Dogmeat. Then, Kat and Bob lament the death of the mid-range JRPG developers following the demise of Imageepoch while cheering the return of Valkyria Chronicles.
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Dragon Quest VII and VIII for Nintendo 3DS have finally been confirmed for North America! Jeremy and Kat have lots of thoughts on that and Nintendo's other news. Then, XSEED's Jessica Chavez joins us to share her adventures in localized Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC, her favorite characters, and the challenge of working with a Japanese story.
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Steve Tramer returns to discuss the high points and low points of Bethesda RPGs over the years and the one way RPGs as a whole can improve. Plus: We're giving away a free copy of Fallout 4 on Xbox One! Listen to find out how to get your copy.
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Jason Wilson joins Kat to discuss the new Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG Sword Coast Legends and the console port of Divinity: Original Sin. Plus: We announce the winner of our Dragon Quest Heroes Slime Collector's Edition!
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Mike joins Kat to discuss his review of Tales of Zestiria, then Kat and Bob determine whether Dragon Quest Heroes does justice to one of the best RPG franchises ever. Bonus: A Yo-kai Watch discussion, plus details on an upcoming giveaway!
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USgamer contributor John Learned joins Kat to discuss what he learned about the localization of Final Fantasy XII in his recent interview, with some added discussion about Legend of Legacy and the new Witcher 3 expansion.
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Mike Williams joins Kat to discuss Disgaea 5, the difficult challenges facing NIS, and what he likes to see in a tactical RPG.
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Kat and Bob delve into the most curious RPG since Earthbound in Undertale, then jump into Persona 4: Dancing All Night before taking a belated look at the RPGs that came out of TGS.
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Jaz joins Kat to talk about the evolution of Destiny, what the expansion fixes, and what can still be improved. Do the RPG elements work now, or is it still a confusing mess of random systems? Here are our final thoughts on The Taken King.
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Steve Tramer returns to talk Shadowrun Hong Kong and the delay of Persona 5, with Kat musing on Xenoblade Chronicles X and ranting about Destiny: The Taken King. Bonus: A random Metal Gear Solid 5 conversation!
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Stay Awhile and Listen and Dungeon H@cks author David Craddock joins Kat to talk about the story behind Diablo II's tumultuous development, the earliest days of Roguelikes, and as always, what makes a game an RPG.
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Elliot Gay returns to share his thoughts on Fire Emblem Fates and other recent Japanese RPGs. What's the difference between Birthright and Conquest? How does it compare to Awakening? You can find the answers here!
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With USgamer's Best 15 Games Since 2000 list now complete, Kat convenes the crew to talk about the best RPGs on the list. Jaz and Mike drop by to reminisce about World of WarCraft, then Bob once again shares his undying love for Dark Souls. Plus: Honorable mentions!
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Bob and Steve join Kat to discuss the evolution of turn-based RPGs, their appeal versus real-time combat, and the news that the Final Fantasy VII remake's gameplay is in for "dramatic changes." What does turn-based combat mean in the modern era? The crew is here to find out.
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On the heels of several interesting RPG announcements, Jeremy Parish checks in to share his thoughts on Dragon Quest XI, Final Fantasy Explorers, and the Odin Sphere remake.
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Rowan Kaiser returns to talks about what he's playing lately and answer questions from the mailbag. What's our favorite RPG soundtrack? Do JRPGs have a future on console? We (mostly) answer these questions and more.
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It's a mega crossover event as Kat heads to Japan to join the 8-4 Play cast for an afternoon of Japanese RPGs, Fire Emblem: Awakening, and chuhai.
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Steve Tramer returns to explain why you should be running the Final Fantasy V Four Job Fiesta right now, why he doesn't like Vagrant Story, and why he's excited to play Persona 5.
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The Final Fantasy VII remake is actually happening! Kat and Jeremy share their reactions the day after it happens, then go on to discuss the surprise Nier remake.
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On the occasion of Earthbound's 20th anniversary, WayForward's Tomm Hulett shares his love for the Nintendo classic with Kat and Bob as the three offer trivia, analyze the battle system, and more. Then, to wrap up the show, Kat and Bob speculate on the RPGs that will dominate E3, including whether or not Dragon Quest VII will finally get localized for the Nintendo 3DS.
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Our old friend Richard from Japan pops in to talk about the first 70 hours of Xenoblade Chronicles X, then Double Fine's Brad Muir talks about the trials and tribulations of designing Massive Chalice.
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Kotaku's Kirk Hamilton joins Kat to talk about his two favorite subjects - Destiny and The Witcher 3. The pair revisit Witcher 3's combat, talk about the game's depiction of sex, and discuss Destiny's odd appeal.
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Kat, Mike, and guest Jason Wilson break down The Witcher 3's expansive open world, quest design and combat. Does it stack up to the best RPGs on the market? The crew have differing opinions.
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Jason Wilson returns to canvass the RPG landscape with Kat, covering a host of topics including fetch quests, Persona Q, and Xenoblade Chronicles, as well as the best RPGs so far this year.
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David Brevik joins Kat to talk about the evolution of Marvel Heroes, remember his days with Blizzard North, and share his updated feelings on Diablo III.
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Japan correspondent Elliott Gay joins Kat to share his initial thoughts on Bravely Second, Super Robot Wars Z3, and Yokai Watch vs. Pokemon as the pair discuss what's happening in the Japanese RPG scene.
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Mike Williams joins Kat to share his perspective on Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin as a relative newcomer to the series, as well as his thoughts on Dragon Age and Netflix's Daredevil. Then, Jonathan Rogers joins Kat to discuss Path of Exile's newly-announced expansion pack.
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Guest Steve Tramer joins Kat and Jeremy to talk Roguelikes on the occasion of the release of Etrian Mystery Dungeon in the latest episode of our RPG podcast. What makes a good Roguelike? Why are Roguelikes suddenly so prevalent? And where should a curious newcomer get started? The answers lie within! (Answers contingent on successful item check).
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GamesBeat editor Jason Wilson and writer Rowan Kaiser join Kat to break down Obsidian's love letter to the Infinity Engine RPG. Does the style still hope up after all these years? Or is Pillars of Eternity's appeal less than eternal?
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Polygon's Phil Kollar joins Bob and Kat to discuss From Software's exciting new dungeon crawler, as well as the Souls series itself. Does Bloodborne live up to the Souls series' lofty reputation? Or has the novelty started to wear off?
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Nine years and a name change after its first announcement, Final Fantasy XV finally has a demo. Does it live up to expectations? Kat and Jeremy analyze Episode Duscae, then hop into another long-awaited Final Fantasy release - Final Fantasy Type-0 HD. When they're finished, stick around to find out which version of Final Fantasy VI you should be playing, and more.
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Kat, Bob, and Jeremy inaugurate the "Canon of the Blood God," where they decide whether to add Final Fantasy VI to the canon. Plus, Kat interviews Robert Boyd, creator of the upcoming retro-styled RPG Cosmic Star Heroine. Bonus: A quick mailbag!
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Richard Garriott offers an update on Shroud of the Avatar as well as some of his philosophy on game design in this special episode for GDC 2015. Plus, Cliffhanger's Jan Wagner speaks frankly on the challenges of developing Shadowrun Online (now Shadowrun Chronicles) using money from Kickstarter.
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Kat, Bob, and Jeremy kick off the very first episode of USgamer's new RPG podcast with the age old question, "What exactly is an RPG?" You know, aside from a miserable pile of secrets? We explore the ingredients of a good RPG, the importance of a good story, and more.
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En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.