Tales from the Backlog

To celebrate 3 years of Tales from the Backlog, I figured it was time to talk about the namesake of the show- The Backlog. Do we get FOMO as dozens of great games release every year? Do we feel pressure to complete the games we buy? What's the best approach to keep our habits healthy? All this and much more in this discussion episode!

Guest info:

• Matt aka Stormageddon of "Fun" and Games and Reignite podcasts.
• Marcus Stewart of The Indie Informer. Find Marcus on Twitter and Twitch.

Music used in the episode:

• Pandora's Place (Yakuza 0)- SEGA Sound Team
• Frozen Soul (Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere)- Tetsukazu Nakanishi
• Yoga (Wii Fit)- Toru Minegishi, Manaka Tominaga

Check out Dave's guest appearance on Retro Hangover discussing System Shock 2!

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Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages

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Here are the games I played at GDEX 2024 gaming convention in Columbus, Ohio! Games mentioned in the episode:
Skate Fish
Tales of Thisrea
Zakumba: Astraia
Dark Sky
Derelict
Mole Maiden
Quiet On Set
RA RA BOOM

Intro/Outro music composed by Bert Cole- check them out at bitbybitsound.com

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Have you ever thought to yourself, "how scary could this pixel art horror game be? It's just pixels!". If so, you and I are the same. And granted, Decarnation (Atelier QDB, 2023) isn't an in-your-face type of horror. It's more of a psychological, empathetic horror and dread for what your character is going through. And it's very, very effective! This is a really unique horror game with fantastic pixel art, sound design and music- highly recommended!

Guest info: Jala Prendes of Jala-chan's Place and The Level podcasts & Dave Cox of Monster Dear Monster podcast.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:23
Story Setup/Theme Introductions 13:35
Presentation 31:32
Gameplay 42:05
SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:08:06

Music used in the episode is credited to fleur et bleue, Akira Yamaoka, ALT 236 & AL 9000. You can support the artists by buying the soundtrack, part 1 and part 2.Tracks used: fleur et bleue - Tout Depend de Toi, Decarnation, Grolia, Orfevre De La Nuit, The Cell, Cracks in the Mask, Lizzy et Marco

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Stop me if you've heard this story before. A game that I once thought would be too scary for me to play, so I spoiled the entire story for myself only to realize that it sounded too good to not experience for myself. Add Devotion (Red Candle Games, 2019) to that list. Despite the controversy surrounding the game and subsequent delisting from all major storefronts, this one is worth seeking you. You can purchase and download it directly from the Red Candle Games website.

Guest Info: Jill Grodt, editor-in-chief of The Indie Informer and podcaster on The Indie Council podcast. Find more from Jill on YouTube and Twitch.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:26
Story Setup/Gameplay 14:32
Horror/Presentation 37:02
SPOILER WALL 53:15

Content warnings for Devotion

Music used in the episode is credited to Vincent Yang. You can support them by purchasing the album directly from the Red Candle Games website. Tracks used: Devotion, Lady of the Pier (Gong Li Fang), Come on! Have a Bite, A Way of No Return, Lady of the Pier (Du Mei Shin)

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As a fan of Silent Hill 2 (episode 10 of Tales from the Backlog, by the way), I figured at some point I would need to go back and play the original. Silent Hill (Team Silent, Konami, 1999) was really interesting to go back and play, for a couple of reasons, most notably that I thought I knew what the game and town's whole deal was, but that was apparently not the case in the first game. The other surprise was that I found this pretty breezy from a mechanical perspective, which was welcome after really struggling through Resident Evil 1. It was an interesting trip back through history, and led to a great conversation!

Guest Info: Stephanie Klimov, podcaster and editor for Boss Rush Network

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories with Silent Hill/Opening Thoughts 0:21
Story Setup 12:58
Presentation 26:48
Gameplay 43:48
Closing Thoughts/Plugs/Housekeeping 59:42
SPOILER WALL 1:08:12

Music used in the episode is credited to Akira Yamaoka. Tracks used: Silent Hill, Led Into Madness, Meeting Cybil, No Dream, Tears of Blood, Dr. Kaufmann, Killing Time

Content Warnings for Silent Hill

Catch Dave on the Gaming Memories Podcast!

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There has been a lot of talk about the cult classic "7/10 game" lately, and no game better exemplifies this than Deadly Premonition (Access Games, 2010). It's one of those games where the average might land on 7/10 because there will be a lot of 10's and a lot of 3's in the review score distribution. Memorable characters, poor graphics, lifelike town, terrible combat, fun mystery and rough performance combine to create a very interesting game, to say the least.

Guest info: James Tuerlings and Patrick Arthur of Retro Spectives podcast.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:32
Story Setup/Twin Peaks Influence 14:40
Gameplay 42:03
Music/Presentation 1:15:51
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Plugs 1:28:18
SPOILER WALL 1:46:39

Polygon interview with Deadly Premonition director Swery65.

Music used in the episode is credited to Riyou Kinugasa, Takuya Kobayashi and Hiromi Mizutani. Tracks used: Greenvale, FBI Special Agent, Found You!, Underground, The Woods and the Goddess, Raincoat Killer, Red Tree, The Goddess

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Sometimes a game has such striking and memorable art that one screenshot will implant that game into your head, even if you never play it. Omori (Omocat, 2020) was almost one of those games for me. A combination of thinking the game would be too scary and having tons of other games available kept Omori on the periphery for a long time, until today's guest, Aaron, played it and kept (lovingly) pestering me to play it. And while I can't say that I loved every aspect of the experience, the story and presentation of mental health struggles were good enough to see me through to its emotional conclusion. I'm very glad I took Aaron's recommendation seriously, for once.

Guest info: Aaron Angle of A Top 3 Podcast

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:23
Story Setup/Themes 11:36
Presentation/Music 30:35
Gameplay/Combat 41:12
SPOILER WALL 59:52

Music used in the episode is credited to Bo En, Jami Lynn and Pedro Silva. You can support them by purchasing the album on Steam or Bandcamp! Tracks used: Title, WHITE SPACE, By Your Side, Tussle Among Trees, Trees..., World's End Valentine, OMORI, DUET

Content warnings for Omori

Check out Dave's guest appearance on Pages of Play podcast!

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Lost Odyssey, by Mistwalker and feelplus, is almost legendary at this point. A darker, sadder RPG by Final Fantasy series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, with a moody yet eclectic soundtrack by Final Fantasy series composer Nobuo Uematsu and short stories interspersed throughout by famed Japanese author Kiyoshi Shigematsu, there is pedigree and talent behind the game, and perhaps most crucially- you probably can't buy it, unless you own an Xbox console. Situations like this tend to lead to inflation of a game's merits, not to mention all of the "this is the real Final Fantasy 13" memes out there. So does Lost Odyssey live up to its mythical reputation? Tune in to find out!

Guest Info: Ryan Batie (they/them) of Lightning Strikes Thrice, a JRPG play along podcast. Check them out at their website or on your favorite podcast app, and support them via Patreon for bonus shows including Icons & Eikons, a Final Fantasy XIV play along podcast.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:35
Story Setup 16:48
Pacing/Game Length 42:06
Presentation/Music 53:24
Combat/Gameplay 1:05:46
SPOILER WALL 1:45:40

Music used in the episode is credited to Nobuo Uematsu. Tracks used: Prologue, Battlefield, Neverending Journey, A Formidable Enemy Appears!, The Gun Barrel Battle, Main Theme, Howl of the Departed, An Immortal Life

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Friends of the show probably know that I love games (especially indie games) set in "uncommon" real world settings- those outside of the US, Japan and Western Europe. Mojiken Studio's 2023 title A Space for the Unbound is one of those, set in Indonesia. That was the draw for me- an emotional story set in a place that I've been in real life. I didn't quite know what kind of emotional story lay in wait for me though, and despite a bumpy road, the way this story pays off and executes on its promise was truly remarkable. In the podcast we discuss the highs and lows, how gameplay affects the pacing, and much more!

Guest info: CGDannyB (he/him)- streamer on Twitch, YouTube creator and host of Playlog Podcast!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:35
Story Setup/Pacing 11:41
Presentation 33:19
Gameplay 41:53
SPOILER WALL 1:02:13

Music used in the episode is credited to Masdito "Ittou" Bachtiar, Christabel Annora and Bambang Iswanto. You can support them by purchasing the OST on Steam. Tracks used: A Tales from Far Away, School Life, Inner World, Don't Have Much Choice, Tip of the Knife, The Girl on the Bridge, An Ode to Life

Check out Dave's guest appearance on the King of Games 1996 semifinal match between Super Mario 64 and Quake!

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Final Fantasy is one of the most well-represented series on this podcast, and its anthology structure means you can pick and choose which games you want to play without fear of playing out of order. So this year, I wanted to make sure I played a foundational one- Final Fantasy IV. I expected this to be the turning point where Square and the Final Fantasy team started to prioritize story and characters, and you can really see their attempts here, including some cool marriages of gameplay and narrative that later games no longer do. I really enjoyed my time with this one and was happy to bring together an all-star group of guests to chat about it!

Joining me for the discussion are Chris Coplien of Retro Hangover podcast, which you should [check out](linktr.ee/retrohangover) for retro gaming podcasts as well as the yearly King of Games tournament, and Jenny E., who is a writer and podcaster. You can find her Final Fantasy IV fan fiction and other writing HERE, and check out her Wordlessly podcast as well!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:05
Story Setup/Themes/Characters 17:09
Visuals/Music 40:11
Combat 52:18
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs 1:07:57
SPOILER WALL 1:18:00

Music used in the episode is credited to Nobuo Uematsu and Square. Tracks used: The Prelude, Main Theme of Final Fantasy IV, Red Wings, Theme of Love, Mystic Mysidia, Fight 1, Chocobo-Chocobo, Prologue, Mt. Ordeals, The Final Battle, Fanfare

Check out Dave's guest appearance on Pixel Project Radio's series about 1000xRESIST!

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Do you ever feel like you missed the boat on a game? Maybe it was really influential and subsequent games used its "trick"? Maybe you wonder if that OG still has the juice even though you couldn't possibly go into the game completely blind? These were the thoughts running through my mind as I booted up Pony Island by Daniel Mullins Games for the first time in 2024. I'm happy to say that despite I'll never get the "true" experience, Pony Island has a lot more going for it than mere gimmicks. This is a game that actually has something to say, and I'm glad that I played it.

Joining me for the discussion about Pony Island is Chris, one half of the 1 Hour, 1 Decision (1H1D) podcast. Along with his co-host Tom, Chris picks a random game on Xbox Game Pass, plays for an hour, and does a podcast about that experience and whether they want to keep playing. It's a good show, and you can find it on your favorite podcast app or HERE!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:51
Story Setup/Themes 12:52
Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 31:17
SPOILER WALL 39:02

Music used in the episode is credited to Jonah Senzel. You can support them by purchasing the album on Bandcamp. Tracks used: Louey's Playhouse, Pony Island, Enter Pony, The Machine, Adventure Awry, The Island, Escape, Hop, Skip and a Neigh

Check out Dave's guest appearance on Pixel Project Radio about 1000xRESIST!

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Animal Well, by Billy Basso/Shared Memory came out of nowhere. For me, and I think a lot of others, the initial announcement was more of a shock that videogamedunkey had started the BigMode publishing company than excitement about the game being published. Once people got their hands on Animal Well, however, all skepticism or publicity about dunkey publishing games went out the window- Animal Well is an absolute treat and captivated so many of us in the weeks following its launch. It's the kind of game that begs people to get together and share what they discovered, and luckily for me, I have a podcast where I can do just that!

Joining me for the discussion is Jenny Windom, host of Geeks & Grounds podcast, organizer and host of Wholesome Games and much more around the industry. Geeks & Grounds is a games club podcast that is fun and insightful to play along with, which you should check out at their website, and keep up with Wholesome games by going to their website!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:43
Story Setup/Mysteries/Presentation 16:11
Gameplay/Exploration/Experimentation 35:13
SPOILER WALL 1:05:26

Music used in the episode is credited to Shared Memory. Tracks used: Dawn Chorus, Animal Well, Flames, Burrows, Manticore, Rabbit Hole, Time Capsule

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Dave the Diver, despite clearly having a great character name, is not my kind of game. Mintrocket's dive-collect-sell-upgrade-dive loop is one that I'm not very motivated by, but Dave the Diver got such unanimous acclaim that I had to take note. And apparently the patrons of the show wanted me to play it as well, because it won one of the montly polls. And this was an interesting episode to make, because I absolutely despise this game. Part of a critic's challenge is articulating why something hits or misses, and usually I'm on the other side of that challenge. Today is a different story. Listen in and find out why!

Joining me for the discussion about Dave the Diver is Dave Cox of Monster Dear Monster podcast. Monster Dear Monster is a monster- and horror-focused podcast covering all types of media and the monsters, history and folklore within. It's a great show, and you should check it out by finding it on your favorite podcast app or on their show website!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:02
Story Setup 19:53
Music/Visuals 42:14
Diving/Restaurant Gameplay 51:39
Gameplay "Shake Ups"/Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:11:14
SPOILER WALL 1:43:12

Music used in the episode is credited to Jukio Kallio and D'Anthoni Wooten. You can purchase the album as DLC on Steam. Tracks used: Deep, Ocean Peace, Diver, Serve Sushi Serve!, Darker Trenches, Restaurant Prep, Welcome to My Bistro

Check out Dave's appearance on the Final Fantasy Fantasy Draft over on Still Loading podcast!

Check out Dave's appearance on Jala-chan's Place, discussing weight and body image!

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Since Nintendo has apparently decided that Wario Land is a series not worth pursuing, we find ourselves telling that familiar story where an indie developer says "ok, they're not making the game I want to play any more....guess it's up to me!". Enter developer Tour De Pizza and their love letter to Wario Land, Sonic the Hedgehog and all manner of 1990s cartoons, Pizza Tower. That set of inspirations creates a high bar to reach, but Pizza Tower clears that bar by several pepperoni lengths. It's fast, it's fluid, it allows you to create your own level of challenge, the animation captures that older cartoon style, and the music is incredible. Pizza Tower was a treat to play.

Joining me to discuss Pizza Tower is returning guest Aaron Klaassen of Super Pod Saga. Super Pod Saga is a topic-based gaming podcast, with lots of fun guests going through topics like favorite metroidvanias, console retrospectives, and much more. You can find all of the Super Pod Network's podcasts and writing on the network website!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:31
Story Setup/Visuals 10:02
Music 21:03
Gameplay 27:22
Gameplay, continued 36:21
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Closing Thoughts 46:29
NO SPOILER SECTION

Music used in the episode is credited to Post Elvis, Ronan "Mr. Sauceman" de Castel and ClascyJitto. You can support the artists by purchasing the album on Bandcamp! Tracks used: Pizza Deluxe, Time for a Smackdown, Dungeon Freakshow, It's Pizza Time!, Oregano Mirage, Hot Spaghetti, Mondays

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I am FINALLY caught up with Ryu Ga Gotoku and Sega's Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise, and let me tell you, it feels great to play the games as they release now. This time, in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Ichiban, Kiryu and friends take on the streets of Honolulu. This episode talks about the new story, the unique logistical challenge that the non-Japanese setting presented, giant sharks, baby fetish men making snow, and much more.

Joining me for the discussion is DeadbeatPunk, the nicest man on the internet and host of WTFDYW?! podcast. Each episode of WTFDYW?! is a half hour topic discussion about something in particular that the guest wants, whether it be talking about a particular game or type of game, a TV show or a band. It's always a fun listen and it respects your time, and you can find it by going to this website.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:49
Story Setup 13:50
Presentation 42:42
Gameplay/Combat 45:58
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:04:13
SPOILER WALL 1:09:06

Music featured in the episode is credited to Chihiro Aoki, Keitaro Hanada, Hyd Lunch, Hidenori Shoji, Yuri Fukuda, Saori Yoshida, 83key, and Rintaro Soma. Tracks used: Hawaiian Sunshine, Yokohama Sunset, Crashing Waves, Judgement -Shinpan- Hero Spec Edition, The Oncoming Storm, Dondoko Island, Apathy 2, Eternal Warrior, The Endless World, The Epic Remains, Vacation Ends

Check out Dave's guest appearance on the Boss Rush Podcast!

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Continuing along my journey of playing Konami and Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid series, next up is Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. This is the one that is most often held up as the greatest in the series, and I can absolutely see why. It's not without flaws- it's still clunky to play and continues the trend of no Metal Gear Solid game having normal pacing, but I greatly enjoyed my experience with it. We also discussed some things we would like to see in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta remake.

Joining me for this discussion is Katie Lesperance of Left Behind Game Club and Cutscenes: A Video Game Movie & TV Podcast. Both of those shows are worth your time if you like the pitch, and you can find them both on your favorite podcast app or by following these links: Left Behind Game Club Cutscenes

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:52
Story Setup/Theme Intros/Male Gaze/Pacing 14:49
Presentation 41:17
Stealth/Survival Gameplay 48:18
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:17:38
SPOILER WALL 1:26:17

Music used in the episode is credited to Harry Gregson-Williams and Norihiko Hibino. Tracks used: Battle in the Jungle, Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid Main Theme, Virtuous Mission, Battle in the Jungle, Salty Catfish, The Boss "Snake Eater", Debriefing, Metal Gear Solid Main Theme "Reprise"

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Every now and then, I want to take a break from story-focused games and just play a puzzle-ass puzzle game. Geometric Interactive's Cocoon was just what the doctor ordered, from that perspective. But Cocoon's world hinted at a deeper story, one that seems inaccessible yet present, and that left me with a feeling of want, despite how great the puzzle experience was. Listen to the episode for more! And also a big shoutout to patron Matt aka Stormageddon for submitting this game into the poll it ended up winning! Thanks Matt!

Joining me for the discussion about Cocoon is Brenden Groom from Pass the Controller. Pass the Controller is a great spot for chat about what's going on in the world of video games and other nerd culture, as well as interesting cocktail mixes to pair with your favorite games. You can check them out at their website!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:53
Story Setup/Puzzle Gameplay 11:16
Visuals/Music 37:14
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 48:14
SPOILER WALL 58:42

Music used in the episode is credited to Jakob Schmid. You can purchase the soundtrack on Steam to support the artist! Tracks used in the episode: Signal, Cosmic Mystery, A Dance in Phases, Leviathan, Journey II, Spheres

Check out friend of the show Flora Merigold's written review of Cocoon on Epilogue Gaming!
Listen to Dave's appearance on Retro Hangover's [King of Games 1996](linktr.ee/retrohangover)!

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In this bonus episode, I'm joined by returning guest Charlie Young to discuss FromSoftware's Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. The public feed includes roughly the first half of the episode, and all paid members at [patreon.com/realdavejackson](patreon.com/realdavejackson) will get the entire discussion.

This is a full spoiler discussion, though the spoilers really start flying at about the 22:00 mark.

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I was convinced to try out Gris after seeing a single screenshot, but in true gamer fashion, I bought it a few years before finally playing it. It took the backlog resolutions challenge in our Discord server to finally get me to play it, and unsurprisingly, I was hooked by what Nomada Studio had created immediately. The marriage of art, music, gameplay and color take you on a journey through the main character's struggle in a way that only a video game can do.

Joining me for the discussion about Gris is Eric Gess, host of The Unlockables, which he bills as "The story of video games, the people who play them, and the memories we make along the way". You can check out his podcast and YouTube channel for interviews with creators, monologues about the industry, a long-running story breakdown of the Kingdom Hearts series, and much more.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:09
Story Setup/Gameplay 13:20
Visuals/Music 29:31
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 38:31
SPOILER WALL 48:31

Music used in the podcast is credited to Berlinist. You can support them by purchasing the album on Bandcamp! Tracks used: Gris, pt. 1, Debris, Perseverance, Komorebi, Chiasm, Opaque, Karasu, Gris, pt. 2, In Your Hands

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For any lover of RPGs, and especially "weird RPGs", as former guest on the show Rebekah Valentine termed them, Lisa: The Painful, by Dingaling Productions, will probably jump out at you. From its art style, non-pretty boy protagonist to its serious themes and punishing gameplay, this is not a game for the faint of heart. However, if you are willing to engage with the game and its premise on its terms, what you'll find is a thoughtful tale of hero syndrome, toxic masculinity and free will...AND legitimately one of the funniest games I've ever played.

Joining me for this discussion is Rick Firestone, host of Pixel Project Radio. Rick is one of the most frequent guests on Tales from the Backlog, for good reason. He always brings a thoughtful perspective to the show, and you'll find more of that on Pixel Project Radio, which you can find on your favorite podcast app or by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:58
Story Setup 13:46
Presentation 30:38
Work Harder/Music 37:03
Gameplay 43:42
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:07:46
SPOILER WALL 1:15:28

Music used in the episode is credited to Widdly 2 Diddly. You can support the artist by purchasing the album on Bandcamp. Tracks used: Praise Wally, Summer Love, God's Call, Men's Hair Club, Work Harder, The Highway King, Go Home Johnny, Big Boy's Call, I Am Satan, Salvation!, Devil's Bath Boys, Summer Love

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Sunset Visitor's 1000xRESIST came out of nowhere for me. Releasing on May 9th, 2024 meant it faced stiff indie competition on its day of release, and it wasn't until others were shouting from the rooftops that I found myself drawn to try it out (and a big thank you to Sunset Visitor and Fellow Traveler for the review code!). What I found was a story that had all the hallmarks of the best sci-fi: a high concept with cool sci-fi ideas that was firmly rooted in the real world and real, modern day experiences. I was absolutely blown away by its narrative and themes, so I needed to include it on the podcast.

Joining me for the discussion about 1000xRESIST is Michael Higham from IGN. Michael wrote IGN's review for this game, which you can read HERE, and his insights were invaluable to the discussion. You can follow him on Twitter and check out more of his work!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:27
Story Setup/Themes/Gameplay 18:00
Presentation 40:08
Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 53:25
SPOILER WALL 1:00:04

Music used in the episode is credited to Line Katcho, Drew Redman, Alex Mah and Sunset Visitor. You can support the artists by purchasing the OST on Bandcamp.
Tracks used: Year Unknown, Watcher, The Orchard -At Peace-, Day of the Dance, Urgency, I Killed Her, The Youngest Looks, A Future Worthwhile

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Famously never localized for an English-speaking audience, HAL Laboratory and Brownie Brown's Mother 3 has almost become a meme at this point. So much so that I wondered if it could live up the inflated expectations that I unwittingly put on games that are unavailable or difficult to find, a kind of forbidden fruit syndrome. So I made sure to put Mother 3 on my Backlog Resolutions list for 2024 and hey! It's pretty good! It's a lot like Earthbound in good and bad ways, and I like the story of Mother 3 for different reasons than I liked Earthbound's story. Looks like I'm gonna need an all-star guest to dig into this one...

Joining me for the discussion about Mother 3 is Rebekah Valentine! Reb is an award winning investigative reporter for IGN, reporting on the inner workings of the industry, how the games we love get made, and giving a voice to workers who are laid off or otherwise mistreated. You can find her work by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories with Mother 3/Opening Thoughts 2:03
Story Setup 14:58
Questionable/Offensive Content 32:32
Visuals/Music 42:00
Gameplay/Combat 53:14
Combat, continued 1:03:14
Closing Thoughts/Plugs/Housekeeping 1:11:01
SPOILER WALL 1:19:06

Music used in the episode is credited to Shogo Sakai. Tracks used: Fun Naming, Welcome!, Alec's Log House, Mag**** Party, Homely Yado Inn, Mr. Batty Twist, Fate, Mr. Saturn Theme Z, Mom's Hometown, Happy Town, Sorrowful Tazmily, Mother 3 Love Theme (Arr.), Mother 3 Love Theme, You Won!

Find Dave's TWO guest appearances on the Retro Hangover podcast on your favorite podcast app or by clicking here!

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Fumito Ueda's trilogy of Playstation games- Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian- are idiosyncratic, minimalist art pieces. The final game in the trilogy, before the unfortunate dissolution of Japan Studio, was The Last Guardian, showcasing the uneasy partnership between an unnamed boy and a large, fearsome beast named Trico. The Last Guardian pushes back on the idea that games need to be responsive and frictionless, instead forcing you to rely on your shaky communication with an animal to progress through the game. Your mileage may vary with how willing you are to put up with this, but for me, this was a beautiful experience that I love with my entire heart.

Joining me to discuss The Last Guardian is Chris, one of the hosts of the Franchise Festival podcast. It is a podcast that is well-thought out and worth your time, and you can find it on your favorite podcast app or listen for free on their Patreon page!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:07
Story Setup 15:39
Cooperation with Trico 31:43
Visuals/Animation 48:56
Music 1:01:27
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:06:51
SPOILER WALL 1:18:52

Music used in the episode is credited to Takeshi Furukawa:
Homeward, Overture - Lore, Forest, Courtyard, Falling Bridge, The Tower, Victorious, Finale II, End Titles

Find Dave's appearance on the Retro Spectives podcast on their website!

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From the first screenshot I saw of Roadwarden (Moral Anxiety Studio), I knew that I needed to check the game out. The art is simple, yet striking, and any screenshot will convey the quality of writing. Once I booted up the game, I found that the choose-your-adventure writing, the confident RPG mechanics and the music wrapped this into a rich total package.

Joining me in this episode is returning guest Bryan Skursha of Pixelated Playgrounds podcast. Pixelated Playgrounds is a gaming book club style podcast, similar to Tales from the Backlog. It is worth your time, and you can check them out on your favorite podcast app or by visiting their website!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts: 1:57
Story/World Setup 10:32
Story, continued 27:35
Visuals/Music/Sound Design 44:09
RPG/Choose Your Adventure Gameplay 55:21
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:21:46
SPOILER WALL 1:28:07

Soundtrack is credited to Nick Roder. You can support them by purchasing the Roadwarden OST on Bandcamp. Music used in this episode: Roadwarden, Pelt of the North, Howler's Dell, Creeks, Heart of the Woods, Foggy Lake, The Spirits, Hovlaven, Roadwarden Reprise

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Cyberpunk 2077 has had quite a journey. From the disastrous launch, the warranted criticism, and years more work by the developers at CD Projekt Red, the game is finally in proper working condition, fine tuned into a magnificent experience. Add in the Phantom Liberty expansion, and you have some of the most compelling storytelling in AAA gaming.

Joining me for the discussion is Adam Gumbert of Respawn Aim Fire, a gaming variety show, and Isle of Misfit Rolls, a D&D actual play podcast. You can check out Adam on Respawn Aim Fire and Isle of Misfit Rolls!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:49
Story Setup 11:46
Story Pacing 42:30
Music 50:52
Gameplay 1:06:01
Exploration/Driving 1:20:02
Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:29:34
SPOILER WALL 1:34:40

Music used in the episode is credited to P.T. Adamczyk, Marcin Przybyłowicz and Paul Leonard-Morgan. Tracks used: V (Przybyłowicz), Extraction Action (Leonard-Morgan), Never Looking Back (Adamczyk), Wushu Dolls (Przybylowicz), The Rebel Path (Adamczyk), Never Fade Away (Samurai - Refused), You Shall Never Have to Forgive Me Again (Adamczyk), Scavengers (Adamczyk), I'm a Netrunner (Adamczyk), Been Good to Know Ya (Przybyłowicz), Test of Loyalty (Adamczyk). You can support the artists by purchasing the album on Bandcamp.

Check out the King of Games 1996 tournament on Retro Hangover podcast!

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Sometimes you hear about a game and you know you're going to love it. God Hand, released by Clover Studio and Capcom in 2006, is one of those games. Despite hearing about its difficulty (which was true, my hands still hurt), I loved playing this game and it deserves its resurging cult status. Now if only someone could convince Capcom that this is worth remastering. We can dream, can't we?

I'm joined in this episode by the wonderful Derek Van Dyke of Super Deluxe Gamescast and Castle Bravo podcasts, which you should check out for your video games and Godzilla media needs, respectively. Follow these links for Super Deluxe Gamescast and Castle Bravo or search on your favorite podcast app!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:59
Story Setup/Campy Tone/Humor 16:09
Soundtrack 38:25
Combat 49:34
Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:07:41
SPOILER WALL 1:16:21

Music used in the episode is credited to Masafumi Takada and Jun Fukuda: Peek-a-Boo!, Be Ready, Gene's Rock-a-Bye, Smoking Roll, Top of the Humans, Sunset Heroes, It's a Smile World, Broncobuster, God Hand

Mazinger Z Theme by Ichirou Muzuki

Listen to the King of Games 1996 over on Retro Hangover!

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As the Legend of Zelda series has pivoted to free-flowing and creativity-focused open words, "The Zelda Formula" has fallen by the wayside, left in the memories of those who grew up with it. That's certainly the case for me, as I welcomed the change that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom brought to the series. However, the old ways still hold a place in my heart, and I was happy to revisit The Minish Cap for this episode. This marks an interesting period in the series, where Capcom worked with Nintendo to develop the handheld Zelda games, and they knocked this one out of the park. Thank you to the patrons for voting this game on to the show!

I'm joined in this episode by Jared Moss from Play Along Podcast to discuss it. Jared is a Zelda head and was the perfect guest for this episode. You can and should check out everything that he is doing over at Play Along Podcast by using this link or on your favorite podcast app!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:31
Story Setup 15:11
Visuals/Music 23:40
Gameplay 38:41
Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:10:25
SPOILER WALL 1:23:29

Music used in the episode is credited to Mitsuhiko Takano: File Select, Title Theme, Hyrule Field, Picori Festival, Hyrule Town, Mt Crenel, Dungeon Boss, Minish Woods, Vaati's Wrath

Dave's guest appearance on "Fun" and Games podcast
Listen to the King of Games 1996 over on Retro Hangover!

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Video games have the power to connect with players to tell stories, but have you ever considered the role that video games had in shaping your taste in music? From sports games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Madden and FIFA to rhythm games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Fuser, and even non-licensed soundtracks like Mega Man, The Last of Us and Final Fantasy...video games have had a big role in shaping the type of music we like. That's what this discussion episode is all about!

My guests for this episode were Ryan Juengling from List Off!, where you can get measured and informed takes on the latest gaming news, and Jon Haig, formerly of Video Game Lounge podcast. You can find List Off! and Video Game Lounge by searching on your favorite podcast apps or by following those links.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Guitar Hero/Rock Band 1:26
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater/Sports Games 25:56
Chiptunes/Orchestrated Music/Others 54:23

Music used in this episode:
-Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Main Menu (Brian Bight)
-"Hey You" (The Exies cover - performed by WaveGroup Sound)
-Gamebreaker 1 from NBA Street Vol 2 (Jeff Mair)
-Metal Man from Mega Man 2 (Takashi Tateishi)
-WVBA Champion from Punch-Out!! (Koji Kondo)

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Transistor, by Supergiant Games, is an interesting game to go back to after playing Hades. You can see a lot of ideas that started here in Transistor and made their way all the way to Hades, with Transistor still being a really engaging and strategic game in its own right. I loved revisiting this game, and am glad it won the poll on Patreon to appear on the show!

Joining me to discuss Transistor is Alex from Low Five Gaming! Low Five Gaming is a monthly backlog book club podcast that Alex runs with his brother Luke. It's a great time, and you should check it out by heading to their website!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:40
Story Setup 14:30
Visuals/Music 28:03
Combat 39:00
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:00:26
SPOILER WALL 1:08:15

Music used in the episode is written, recorded and produced by Darren Korb, with vocals by Ashley Barrett. You can support them by purchasing the album on BandCamp. Tracks used: Old Friends, Traces, Water Wall, Heightmap, Coasting, The Spine, Apex Beat, Paper Boats

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Xenogears, by Square, is one of the big RPGs of this era that I wanted to check off. As a fan of the Xenoblade Chronicles games and JRPGs in general, going back to the root of the series felt like an interesting trip back through history. A few things had initially put me off, like all of the talk about an unfinished second disc and heavy use of religious and philosophical material that I would have to research outside of the game. And I'm happy to report that both worries were unfounded- the second disc is great, and I actually did feel compelled to go learn things outside of the game! This is a fantastic, flawed game, and it was a joy to record about it.

Joining me to discuss Xenogears is Michael Berger, co-host of Bits of Time. You can check out Bits of Time on their podcast and their YouTube channel! You can also check out Michael's books, Ayla: A Science Fiction Novella and The Consumed.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:06
Story Setup 14:29
Story Pacing/Characters/Religious & Philosophical Themes 27:56
Visuals/Music 42:07
Gameplay/Combat 53:32
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:07:04
SPOILER WALL 1:16:53

Music used in the episode was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda. Tracks used: My Village is Number One, Bonds of Sea and Fire, Light from the Netherworld, Emotions, Shevat ~ The Wind is Calling, Steel Giant, Yggdrasil, Flight, Fuse, The Valley Where Wind is Born, The Treasure Which Cannot Be Stolen, The Beginning and the End, Small Two of Pieces (with vocals by Joanne Hogg)

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Our Baldur's Gate 3 recording ran so long, I had to split it up into two episodes. This is the full-spoiler discussion, where we talk about the decisions we made, how we solved our quests, how things turned out in our games, and much more. In particular, Jim's evil and Dark Urge playthroughs brought about some wild results that you'll love to hear about! You can find the non-spoiler portion of this episode in Episode 114!

TIMESTAMPS
Act 1 2:48
Act 2 26:22
Act 3 46:55
Late Game Bosses/Endings 1:14:43

Charity Streaming Event: We are doing a charity streaming event from April 20th-28th 2024 to benefit Suicide Awareness Voices of Education in honor of a friend we lost. Please check out the stream schedule HERE and consider donating HERE.

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Sometimes I try to write clever little descriptions about the games on the show, but this week's game doesn't feel like it needs it.** Baldur's Gate 3*, by **Larian Studios, excels in just about everything it sets out to do. It has impressive writing, almost unparalleled choice-based storytelling, memorable characters, a deep and engaging combat system, and tons of immersive sim elements that make each playthrough really feel like your own. It's one of the best games I've ever played, and I was joined by returning guests **Jim Rodeman* and Chris Rettig to discuss it!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:47
Story Setup/Characters 19:57
Choice-Based Storytelling/Quest Design 44:22
Visuals/Presentation/Music 59:05
Gameplay/Combat 1:12:41
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:57:40
SPOILER SECTION IS IN ITS OWN EPISODE THIS TIME

Charity Streaming Event: We are doing a charity streaming event from April 20th-28th 2024 to benefit Suicide Awareness Voices of Education in honor of a friend we lost. Please check out the stream schedule HERE and consider donating HERE.

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During the first few months after Baldur's Gate 3 released, I heard a similar refrain coming from my friends and people on social media- people would say something like "I normally don't play RPGs like this, but I love Baldur's Gate 3! Flash forward 6 months and now Baldur's Gate 3 has swept the major award shows and broken into the top 10 most-played list on Steam. How did a game from such a niche genre break into the mainstream?

In order to answer this, I invited CRPG historian and writer/editor for The CRPG Book, Felipe Pepe, on to the show to talk about all of this. Topics discussed include:

• How he got into RPGs and why we love the genre
• The state and role of CRPGs through history, including discussions about Fallout, Ultima, Wizardry, Baldur's Gate, Pillars of Eternity, Morrowind, Arx Fatalis, Skyrim, Disco Elysium, Wasteland, The Gold Box Series, Shadowrun, Dragon Age, and many more games.
• Why Baldur's Gate 3 broke out in such a big way
• Recommendations for other CRPGs through history for new fans of the genre
• The CRPG Book project

You can follow Felipe on Twitter, check out the free PDF version of The CRPG Book, or purchase a wonderful hardcover edition from Bitmap Books (all author's proceeds to go charity)!

Check out Dave's guest appearance on the "Fun" and Games podcast, where we did an Xbox 360 retrospective!

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From the first time I saw a screenshot of The Case of the Golden Idol, by Color Gray Games, I was struck by these caricaturish portraits and knew I'd have to follow up on it someday. Then the comparisons to a favorite of mine, Return of the Obra Dinn, started rolling in and I knew I would have to play it sooner rather than later. And a big shoutout to community member Soccr for buying this for me in our Discord server Secret Santa! Yay!

Joining me to discuss The Case of the Golden Idol is NinaStruggles, a streamer and YouTuber who plays all manner of games but has a particular love of puzzle and detective games! You can check her out by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:51
Story Setup 9:51
Music/Visuals 18:15
Gameplay/Puzzles 28:25
Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 51:26
SPOILER WALL 57:50

Check out Dave's guest appearances on Left Behind Game Club and The Gaming Duo!

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Sunset Overdrive feels like a game that's been lost to time, doomed to a life of only being mentioned when a new game comes out that reminds people of it, despite being made by one of the industry's heavyweights (Insomniac Games) in the not so distant past. It's got a goofy tone, a bangin punk rock soundtrack, and an exquisite movement system that never gets old, but its mission design starts to wear thin long before the credits roll. Joining me to discuss Sunset Overdrive is streamer and YouTuber Goohi, and you can check out everything she is making by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intro/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:37
Story Setup/Humor/Soundtrack 13:53
Gameplay/Movement 30:58
Gameplay/Combat 44:01
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Plugs 1:12:12
NO SPOILER SECTION

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SURPRISE! Balatro comes for us all. Developed by solo developer LocalThunk and published by Playstack, the poker-themed roguelike deckbuilder has singlehandedly caused productivity to drop by 7% worldwide since its 2024 release. Thank you to Playstack and LocalThunk for providing me with a review code so that I could become a statistic! Joining me to talk about the game, its strengths and weaknesses, our favorite strategies and beginner tips are Matt aka Stormageddon ("Fun" and Games, Reignite, Screen Snark podcasts) and Aaron Klaassen (SuperPod Saga). Check their shows out, they are worth your time!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:43
SICKO SHOP TALK WALL 56:01

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This is the PAX East 2024 retrospective and run-through of all of the games I played! Woooo!

Games featured:
Animal Well:
The Art of Flight
Duck Paradox
Enter the Chronosphere
Fallen Aces
Fretless
Lucid
So to Speak
Sorry, We're Closed
Tape to Tape
Throne of Bone

YouTube VoD of the Nintendo DS panel I participated in!

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Music composed by Bert Cole- find more music at [bitbybitsound.com](www.bitbybitsound.com)
Patreon: patreon.com/bitbybitsound
Twitter: @BitByBitSound

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Titanfall 2, developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by EA, is one of those unfortunate games that seems to be universally beloved, but apparently didn't sell well enough for them to continue the series. Instead, Respawn is stuck in the Apex Legends and Star Wars mines for the foreseeable future, and we're left to replay this wonderful campaign (and multiplayer for some) and wonder what might have been. Titanfall 2 lives up to the hype, folks!

My guests for this episode are Adam Bucceri and Cory Revis, hosts of the Half Tone Takes podcast, which is a deep dive into one of the hosts' interests each episode. The conversations are fun and enriching, and the show is worth your time. Adam also designs video and tabletop games on his Itch.io page, and Cory makes a webcomic called Dawn of Time. Check out their work!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:13
Story Setup 19:40
Gameplay/On-Foot Combat 28:41
Gameplay/Titan Combat 54:00
Visual/Audio Design 1:13:02
SPOILER WALL 1:32:04

INFO ABOUT MY PAX EAST PANEL HERE

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How do you follow up a story that ends the way that Final Fantasy X did? Well, Square decided that Final Fantasy X-2 needed to shake things up. Most sequels escalate, but that wasn't really an option here, and so the girlpower J-Pop Final Fantasy game was born. This game gets a lot of hate out there, but not for the reasons that I think deserve it. Joining me to discuss Final Fantasy X-2 is Adam from The Good, The Bad & The Backlog. You can and should check out his show by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intro/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:11
Story Setup 16:34
Gameplay/Combat 48:45
Gameplay, continued 1:20:36
Music 1:33:25
SPOILER WALL 1:47:26

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In this discussion, Dave is joined by Chris Coplien (Retro Hangover podcast), Rick Firestone (Pixel Project Radio podcast) and Andre (Fine Time podcast) to discuss the challenges and our personal approaches to evaluating retro games. In this episode, we discuss our perspectives and some specific games like Rocket Knight Adventures, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Monkey Ball, Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior and many more!

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How do you remake one of the most beloved games of all time? How do you fend off the masses who want to hold you to every decision made over 20 years ago? Well, in our opinion, Square Enix figured out the way with Final Fantasy VII Remake. This is a shining example of how a remake can update the graphics, completely revamp the gameplay, add voice acting, re-orchestrate the music....and still keep the heart and soul of the original game intact. It's a masterful game, and I was joined by returning guests Aaron Angle (A Top 3 Podcast) and Ryan Arrington to discuss it!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:08
Story Setup 18:00
This Game as a Remake 37:40
Visuals/Voice Acting/Music 49:06
Combat 1:17:29
SPOILER WALL 1:43:16

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This War of Mine, by 11 Bit Studios is often labeled not only as a good game, but also as an important game, especially as countries are invaded and lives are turned upside down in the same ways, over and over again. Because of how forever relevant this game is, and with a little pushing from friend of the show Randall on our "Games in Real-World Settings" episode a few months back, I was eager to give this a try- and it ended up winning a poll on Patreon! I was also lucky enough to be joined by Alex, host of the First Five YouTube channel. You should check out his channel for wonderful gaming content, including The Time-Strapped Gamer's Guide to Life Sims, and helping you find what games you should try from that giant itch.io bundle you bought.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:25
Story Setup/Setting/Bleak Tone 14:36
Gameplay Mechanics 39:29
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:16:45

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Boy am I glad that I disregarded all of the "Metal Gear Solid 2 is the worst one, just skip it" chatter out there. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, by Hideo Kojima and Konami, is a step up in almost every way from the first Metal Gear Solid game, and does a ton of interesting things in the process. Its biggest issue is that it takes a long time setting up, and then the payoff hits you with too much all at once. But once I've had time to sit and process everything it's doing, I gain more and more appreciation for it. Joining me for this discussion is The Profit of Gaming Memories! He runs a podcast interviewing people about their gaming memories, as well as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube pages dedicated to retro gaming and emulation.

Max Derrat's YouTube video as mentioned in the podcast

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:37
Story Setup/Visuals 12:29
Gameplay/Music 39:09
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 57:53
SPOILER WALL 1:12:00

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If you grew up alongside South Park like I did, and you loved video games, then you were probably let down by the licensed South Park games in the early years. All of that changed with 2013's South Park: The Stick of Truth by Obsidian Entertainment and South Park Studios. It looked like an episode of the show, it sounded like an episode of the show, the story was fun, and it introduced turn-based combat into the mix. It was a slam dunk back then, and I'm joined once again by Adam Rivera to discuss how it holds up today!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:15
Story Setup/South Park Tone/Humor 16:52
Visuals/Music/Voice Acting/"Playable South Park Episode" 29:12
Gameplay 43:40
SPOILER WALL 1:13:10

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From a better era of licensed games comes The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (PS2, GameCube, Xbox version). No live service nonsense, no microtransactions, just good arcadey fun reliving the best action scenes from the movie, along with tons of little goodies for fans of the movies. This was a blast, and I hope you enjoy reliving this game with us. Joining me for this episode is Chris Dominguez, one of the hosts of A Novel Console, a weekly podcast about gaming, books and food that he does with his wife Karradyne. You can listen to A Novel Console by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:46
Story Setup/Characters/Favorite Levels 18:11
Visuals/Music 43:51
Gameplay/Closing Thoughts/Plugs 49:26
NO SPOILER SECTION- This is literally the story of the movie.

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The day a new Yakuza / Like a Dragon game drops is like a holiday for me. Imagine my surprise and delight when I realized that we don't have to wait years for new games in the series anymore, as we got the Like a Dragon Ishin! remaster earlier in 2023, and then the connecting game, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name to set up the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name didn't need to exist, but I think it does a lot of interesting character work with Kiryu, as well as just being plain old fun to play. I'm joined in this episode by Matt aka Stormageddon ("Fun" and Games, Screen Snark, Reignite podcasts) and Flora Merigold (Left Behind Game Club podcast) to discuss it all! You can check out Flora's writing on Epilogue Gaming, including this article about Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and you can check out Matt's writing over on the "Fun" and Games Patreon (free for all!)

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:25
Story Setup 20:00
Visuals/Voice Acting 55:23
Gameplay 1:11:50
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Plugs 1:42:06
SPOILER WALL 2:01:10

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Rain World, developed by Videocult, is the true definition of a cult hit. If you look on review aggregator websites, you'll see extremely mixed reviews. However, if you ask in Discord servers, subreddits, etc you'll find so many people with feverish praise. It was only a matter of time before I had to try it out for myself, and this was the winner of a Patreon poll! Shoutout to everyone who voted for it, and shoutout to my wonderful guest soccr for joining me to discuss!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:00
Story Setup/Game World 13:00
Gameplay 23:12
Overcoming the Challenge 36:27
Visuals/Music 57:30
SPOILER WALL 1:11:54

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GAME NUMBER 100 ON THE PODCAST! And what a unique game to talk about for #100! Killer7, by Suda51's Grasshopper Manufacture and Capcom, is a game unlike any other. An unholy mashup of rail shooter, adventure game, crime fantasy and political drama, you'll never play another game quite like this. Joining me for this episode is Andre from Fine Time podcast, which you can check out HERE or on your favorite podcast app. I highly recommend starting with their great two part series on the Capcom Five (Killer7, Resident Evil 4, Viewtiful Joe, P.N.03 and Dead Phoenix)!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:11
Story Setup/Characters 13:16
Visuals/Music 44:33
Gameplay 1:01:22
SPOILER WALL 1:40:21

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2023 has been absolutely packed with great games, and now is the time to reflect on the new games I played over the past year. Despite missing a lot of popular releases like Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Wonder, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, Armored Core VI, Lies of P and many more, I still played so many good games that it was tough to make a top 10! But alas, this is the podcaster's curse, so I present to you- 2023 in Review. From anticipated megahits like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Resident Evil 4 Remake and Baldur's Gate 3, to indie gems like Blasphemous 2, Jusant and Bleak Sword DX, here are the best games that I played this year. Also touched on are games like Coffee Golf, Final Fantasy 16, Sea of Stars, Redfall and more! Enjoy! You can also find the Top Non-2023 Games episode over on Patreon!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Games on the Outside Looking In 0:09
Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical) 12:55
Game #5 32:35
Game #4 37:06
Game #3 41:28
Game #2 46:13
Game #1 52:05

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This is an important one for me. Final Fantasy X has been one of my favorite games ever since I played it for the first time almost 20 years ago. Square really made a complete game here- story setup, characters, combat, music...total package. Joining me to discuss it are Ryan Batie and Chris Taylor from JRPG games club podcast Lightning Strikes Thrice. You can find them and all of the other things on the Pitch Drop network by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:48
Story Setup/Characters/Voice Acting 14:25
Music/Visuals 38:50
Combat 52:31
More Combat/Sphere Grid 1:08:24
Other Gameplay/Blitzball 1:22:45
Final Thoughts/Housekeeping 1:36:35
SPOILER WALL 1:46:01

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Blasphemous 2, by The Game Kitchen, is a straight putt as far as sequels go, but that turned out to be a great thing. The Game Kitchen seemingly took lots of feedback into account, smoothed out some rough edges and greatly improved the metroidvania design of Blasphemous 2. The result is one of my favorite games of the year, and one that I was happy to invite longtime friend and frequent podcast guest Chris Nelson back for! Chris was a guest on episode 20 about the original Blasphemous, so go check that one out if you'd like!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:25
Story Setup 11:20
Visuals/Music 22:13
Metroidvania Gameplay 38:43
Combat 49:29
Closing Thoughts 1:05:09
SPOILER WALL 1:10:32

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After playing The Messenger, I could not wait for what Sabotage Studio would make next, so I looked them up, found the Sea of Stars kickstarter page and backed it while the credits for The Messenger were still rolling. To say I was excited would be an understatement. In reality....Sea of Stars is a disappointment. Not a bad game, but not a great game either. I'm joined in this episode by two many time guests on the show, Aaron Angle and Ryan Arrington, to break it all down.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:00
Story Setup 16:41
Visuals/Music 31:59
Combat 44:48
Other Gameplay/Final Thoughts/Housekeeping 1:08:11
SPOILER WALL 1:34:02

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From Assassin's Creed to Spider-Man, Yakuza, Persona and Grand Theft Auto, video games can take us on a sort of virtual tourism journey. But hiding in the background, there are tons of other** games set in real-world locations outside of The United States, Western Europe and Japan*. **Randall Quiggle* and Ozzy Garcia join me to shine a light on some games that might teach you a little bit about culture while you take in the sights.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Our Examples 1:13
Community Examples 1:13:32

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This one is a spicy meatball. Few game series inspire the amount of praise, vitriol and everything in between as Final Fantasy does, and the latest entry, Final Fantasy XVI is no different. A series famous for continuous reinvention reinvents itself once again as a dark fantasy action game, and I knew I had to get a couple of great guests on the show to talk about it. This week I'm joined by Eric Gess (The Unlockables) and Rick Firestone (Pixel Project Radio) to discuss it all.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:50
Story Setup 20:31
Game of Thrones Comparisons 47:11
Visuals/Music 1:01:54
Gameplay 1:22:41
Recommendations/Closing Thoughts/Housekeeping 1:37:56
SPOILER WALL 1:49:03

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To my knowledge, this is the only podcast ever recorded at over 1000 km/h. F-Zero X, by Nintendo EAD for the Nintendo 64 features hyperspeed racing, buttery smooth gameplay and an absolutely incredible shredding speed metal soundtrack. Joining me on this high-speed podcast is Dave Pietrangelo of Remember 64, Back in My Day, Creature Cast and Console Creatures. You can find everything Dave is doing by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:57
Story Setup/Character Backstories 19:27
Soundtrack/Visuals 39:43
Gameplay 53:52
Gameplay, continued/Closing Thoughts 1:15:32
NO SPOILER WALL

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Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR for those in the know) was, for many of us longtime fans, the Star Wars game that we had always dreamed of- a game that let you explore famous planets from the movies, become a jedi, befriend wookiees and play through an acclaimed story. But that was 20 years ago, and Star Wars games have come a long way. How well did KOTOR hold up along the years? Its story is still famous, but is it a one-trick pony if you've played before? Joining me for this special episode is friend of the show, voice actor, twitch streamer and much more, Mick Arcade! You can find Mick on Twitch, on various Playotic channels, Doorway to Nightmare, and many more places around the internet!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories with Star Wars & KOTOR/Opening Thoughts 1:42
Story Setup/Characters 16:48
Visuals/Music/Sound 43:36
Combat/Gameplay 56:54
Closing Thoughts/Housekeeping 1:10:31
SPOILER WALL 1:23:29

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Tales from the Backlog is 2 years old! To celebrate, I am doing the yearly mailbag episode! I answer your questions about my favorite episodes of the show, how I choose the games for the show, podcasting and much more!

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Signalis, by rose-engine is a game that seems to inspire everybody who plays it to jump at every chance to talk about it (or record nearly 3 hour podcasts about it, in our case). From its undeniable aesthetics calling back to the 32-bit era of Resident Evil and Silent Hill to its dreamlike story about android replikas in a cosmic horror/space sci-fi setting, Signalis leaves an impact. Luckily for me, Chris Coplien and Shane Koski of Retro Hangover were kind enough to join me for a theorycrafting session for the ages. You should check out their podcast for some fantastic retro gaming episodes, including some of the games that inspired Signalis!

TIMESTAMPS
Intro/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:41
Story Setup 14:49
Visuals/Music 33:32
Gameplay/Combat/Puzzles 48:24
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:17:39
SPOILER WALL 1:28:27

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Put another tally in the "Dave is covering a game on the podcast that he swore he'd never play" list- life came at me fast, I suppose. Dead Space (2023), Motive Studio and EA's remake of the original Dead Space from 2008 is an incredible visual upgrade on already great gameplay, though it does wear out its welcome as it seems to run out of novel gameplay ideas well before the story has wrapped up. Joining me to discuss Dead Space is Chris aka Vertigo2Hell, a Twitch streamer who specializes in horror game streams. You should give him a follow on Twitch and check out his streams!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:45
Story Setup/Visuals/Music/Was it Scary? 13:00
Gameplay/Combat/Boss Fights 43:30
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:11:52
SPOILER WALL 1:21:05

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Iron Lung, developed and published by David Szymanski in 2022, was a game I was sure I would never play. Frequently topping "Scariest Games Ever" lists around the internet, mixing thalassophobia, claustrophobia, rustophobia and more, I always figured I would just hear about it from afar. But as a convert to horror games, I liked the idea of giving this one a go. After all, a $6, 1 hour game is a good pitch if you're looking for that final push. It turns out that Iron Lung is really great! And I was lucky enough to be joined by two incredible guests, Gary Butterfield and Kole Ross, the two founders and main hosts of the Duckfeed.tv podcast network that encompasses such shows as Watch Out for Fireballs!, Bonfireside Chat and many more. You can check out all of their shows at their website or on your favorite podcast app, and you can support them on Patreon!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:44
Story Setup/How Iron Lung Creates Tension/Gameplay 18:01
SPOILER WALL 48:29

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Ahhh....another October brings another spooky month of games, and another guest appearance by all-star Adelaide Lohkamp. This time, she's joining me to talk about the game that popularized an entire genre. Well, the remake. That's right, we're talking about Capcom's 2002 remake of Resident Evil, originally released for the GameCube in 2002. You can check out Adelaide's YouTube Channel and Twitch page for more great stuff from her!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:55
Story Setup/Campy Tone 12:56
Visuals/Music/Sound Design/Horror Stuff 24:16
Gameplay/Inventory & Save Limits 35:13
Combat/Puzzles/Closing Thoughts 49:53
SPOILER WALL 1:08:27

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Longtime listeners of Tales from the Backlog will have heard me say something to the effect of "I don't like horror games and I will never play one", but as they say- life comes at you fast. I've become a big fan of horror games, and so I wanted to make a discussion episode asking "how did we get here?". To help me discuss the notion of "geting into horror games", I've assembled a 4-piece band of true horror sickos- Adam Bucceri (Enter the Survival Horror, Half Tone Takes), Matty aka The Dog Faced Gamer (Twitch) and Gerry Thomas (Super Ghost Radio). You should check out all of the wonderful things that they make and do!

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Ah yes, another series and character that I had never heard of before they appeared in Super Smash Bros. Kid Icarus: Uprising and its main character, Pit, made an impression on me through the Smash Bros. series, but I had never played a game in the series....until now! Project Sora and Nintendo put out a respectable, but flawed rail shooter/3rd person action hybrid, and I'm joined by action game master TripleSMoon to discuss it! You can find Moon at his YouTube channel for longplays and highlights from all kinds of action games.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:44
Story Setup/Characters/Voice Acting 15:50
Visuals/Music 33:37
Gameplay 42:13
SPOILER WALL 1:37:11

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Wario World, developed by Treasure and published by** Nintendo*, feels like a forgotten game. People still talk about the **Wario Land* series from the Game Boy era, and everyone loves WarioWare, but did you know that Wario had a 3D platformer/beat 'em up on the GameCube? Thrak (The 3DO Experience) joins me on this patron-voted episode to discuss it!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:26
Story Setup/Characterization of Wario/Voice Acting 21:21
Gameplay 37:57
Boss Fights/Closing Thoughts 1:00:52

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I got into gaming in the 1990s, but my introduction to gaming was handheld consoles like the Game Gear and Game Boy, not PC games (aside from whatever my schools had in the computer labs), so the golden era of PC point-and-click adventure games completely missed me. Luckily, through the power of technology, I'm able to go back and revisit some of the formative classics that shaped many childhoods. The Secret of Monkey Island, by Lucasfilm Games is one of those classics, and I was happy to take my first swig of Grog and jump in with my special guest Doug Lief from Nostalgium Arcanum podcast. Nostalgium Arcanum is a nostalgia celebration podcast, discussing games, pop culture trends, tv shows, books, movies and much more. You can find the show on your favorite podcast app or by going to the website!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:35
Story Setup/Humor/Writing/Music 17:23
Gameplay/Puzzles 40:21
Gameplay, continued 59:41
SPOILER WALL 1:08:34

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After the success of The Witcher 3, the second game in the Witcher franchise seems to have been instantly forgotten, despite garnering lots of acclaim back when it released in 2011. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is an incredibly ambitious game by CD Projekt Red, with a branching narrative that still puts modern AAA games to shame, but is severely hampered by outdated and inscrutable gameplay design. Joining me to discuss The Witcher 2 are Andrew Kimball & Dylan Wren, hosts of Your Friendly Neighborhood Gamers. Go check out their podcast and YouTube channel, it's awesome!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:49
Setting/Story Intro 21:36
Visuals/Voice Acting/Music 53:08
Gameplay 59:19
SPOILER WALL 1:30:50

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The black sheep in the Metroid series, Metroid 2: Return of Samus, was originally developed and published by Nintendo for Game Boy in 1991, and has since seen two well-known remakes- the fan remake AM2R, developed by Milton Guasti and released for PC in 2016, as well as MercurySteam and Nintendo's official remake, Metroid: Samus Returns, released in 2017 for the 3DS. This episode is a compare and contrast episode, featuring all three games. Joining me for this episode are three Metroid aficionados- Matt aka Stormageddon ("Fun" and Games, Reignite, Screen Snark podcasts), Geoff Moonen ("Fun" and Games) and Case Aiken (Men of Steel, Another Pass podcasts). Check out all of their fantastic shows on your favorite podcast app or at certainpov.com!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories 1:16:15
Metroid 2: Return of Samus 25:14
Metroid 2 SPOILER WALL 1:01:47
AM2R 1:12:26
AM2R SPOILER WALL 1:45:11
Metroid: Samus Returns 1:58:20
Samus Returns SPOILER WALL 2:29:47
Wrap-Up Thoughts/Recommendations 2:50:35

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In this Break from the Backlog, I'm joined by Jim Rodeman, Mikey Tabletop (Big Drink Energy) and Kolby (Switch It Up) to discuss one of my favorite underrated things about the Super Smash Bros. series- how it has introduced me to so many of my favorite characters, games and game series throughout the years. We talk about how without Super Smash Bros, we may not have played series like Fire Emblem, Metroid, Kid Icarus, Ice Climbers, Bayonetta, Xenoblade Chronicles and so many more. You should check out Jim on several past episodes of Tales from the Backlog, Mikey on Big Drink Energy, and Kolby on Switch It Up!

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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, a teamup between PlatinumGames and Konami brings incredible action gameplay into the world of Metal Gear. This game is fantastic, memorable, memeable and so much more. I was lucky enough to be joined by Jacob McCourt for this episode, as we walk through its wild story and dismemberment-focused gameplay.

You should check out Jacob's podcasts, Left Behind Game Club, Cutscenes: A Video Game Movie & TV Podcast and Crossplay Conversations and follow him on Twitter and Bluesky!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:45
Story Setup/Tone/Soundtrack 14:17
Combat 34:16
Gameplay, continued 46:38
SPOILER WALL 1:06:48

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Redfall, by Arkane Studios Austin released earlier this year to a slew of terrible reviews, clips showcasing its unfinished state, and general dunking as the internet does. But what was it that actually made it so bad? Is it actually as bad as people say? Can the Power of Friendship save Redfall? I'm joined by Nick and Will from Friday Night Gamecast to discuss. You can find all of FNGC's quality podcasts here!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:35
Story Setup/Characters 16:16
Gameplay- What It's Not 41:03
Gameplay- What It Is 1:03:57
SPOILER WALL 1:44:26

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Baldur's Gate 2, the second in BioWare's landmark RPG series, was always kind of "the goal", as it's usually said to be one of the best RPGs ever made, even more so than the first. And I do believe that it holds up in that way- the adventuring is unmatched, the characters are vivid and memorable, and you're able to see your character's arc come to a close, all the way from the beginning of Baldur's Gate 1.

Joining me today is Bryan Skursha of Pixelated Playgrounds, a gaming book club podcast. Pixelated Playgrounds takes a very thoughtful and analytical approach to the games they cover, which I love. Check them out!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:33
Story Setup/Storytelling/Characters/Role Playing 16:12
Visuals/Music 51:34
Combat/Gameplay 1:00:23
SPOILER WALL 1:28:12

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Remakes are so hot these days. From 20+ year old influental titles like Metroid to games that were still available on modern platforms like The Last of Us, love em or hate em, remakes here to stay. So in this episode, Dave & Dylan from Offshore Gamescast join me to discuss when remakes are wanted, why some succeed and what we'd like to see in the future. You can find all things Offshore Gamescast at their website!

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This episode has been a long time coming. One of my favorite games of all time, a game that I've played most of the way through several times, but never finished until now! Final Fantasy VI, Square's landmark Super Nintendo RPG brought us a wonderful cast of characters, an iconic villain, a bangin soundtrack, and an unforgettable story. How does it hold up today? Joining me to discuss is my longtime friend and my co-host on A Top 3 Podcast, Aaron Angle!

TIMESTAMPS
Intro/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:49
Story Setup/Characters/Tone 14:10
Music 37:24
Visuals 46:57
Combat/Gameplay 52:01
SPOILER WALL 1:14:25

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Hope you're ready to hold hands as we discuss Ico, a supremely influential game from Japan Studio and Team Ico. Its influences spread wide throughout the industry, as its minimalist storytelling, cinematic approach, animation and sound design can still be felt throughout your favorite modern games. But how does it hold up today? Joining me to discuss is Josh Covel from the wonderful Still Loading podcast. You can find everything Still Loading by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intro/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:40
Story Setup/Storytelling/Presentation/Gameplay Intro 21:44
Puzzles/Combat 53:11
SPOILER WALL 1:25:25

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For as much as I love role playing games, and some later entries into the CRPG genre, I had never played the original Baldur's Gate, by BioWare....until now. This game largely holds up, despite being made with an antiquated Dungeons and Dragons ruleset, but my issues with the game were a bit more basic than deciphering THAC0 like I expected. I was joined for this episode by Phil Morgan from Deleted Saves, which is a highly recommended podcast. You can find Deleted Saves on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app, on Twitter and on Instagram!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:26
Story Setup/Setting 18:49
Visuals/Voice Acting/Sound Design/Gameplay 38:49
SPOILER WALL 1:17:32

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The Last of Us Part II, by Naughty Dog is one of the most polarizing video games ever made. The sequel to a wildly successful, and some would say "complete", video game was bound to leave some feeling left behind, but this game quickly joined The Discourse....and I didn't hear any of it. So I came to this relatively fresh, and invited on Flora Merigold from Epilogue Gaming and Left Behind Game Club to discuss! Find out how we felt about this landmark, yet controversial game.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:21
Story Setup/Tone/Visuals/Horror 12:09
Gameplay 43:41
SPOILER WALL 1:10:42

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Nobody saw this one coming. Hi-Fi RUSH, by Tango Gameworks shadow dropped during an Xbox showcase and took the gaming world by storm. A colorful and cartoonish art style, a rockin soundtrack and the friendliest rhythm action gameplay around all make this game an absolute joy to play. Joining me to discuss is Kevin Ainsworth from Save the Game Media! Check out all of the shows that Save the Game does by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:26
Story Setup/Rhythm Gameplay 14:37
Boss Fights 36:30
SPOILER WALL 55:23

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How do you remake a game that is: beloved by fans, acclaimed by critics, widely available on modern systems, AND still a blast to play? I don't have the answer, but Capcom sure as hell does. Resident Evil 4 (Remake) walks the line expertly: it modernizes mechanics while keeping the spirit of the original and it updates the story to make it a bit more modern. Joining me to discuss it are Jala Prendes (Jala-chan's Place, The Level) and Adam Bucceri (Boocherry Productions, Halftone Takes)! We had a great time talking about it, and we hope you enjoy it too!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:33
Story Setup 21:57
Visuals/Music/Horror Elements 35:28
Gameplay/Combat 51:09
SPOILER WALL 1:36:06

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This just in- patrons at the Tube Backer ($5 tier) will get a new monthly series called Tales from the WAY Backlog, which will be shorter (20-30 minutes) reviews of retro games at least 30 years old. Retro is a huge hole in my gaming history and a source of frustration for me, so this is both a history tour and a challenge for me to experience these older games. This episode is available to all as a taste of what's to come. If you enjoyed this and want more, future episodes will be available to $5 and higher patrons HERE!

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Dredge, the 2023 cosmic horror fishing game by Black Salt Games, marries the explore-gather-craft-explore gameplay loop with cosmic horror. You want to stay out late to gather as many materials as you can...but the night is dark and full of terrors. I'm joined by Jill Grodt, who helms The Indie Informer, a fantastic website for all things indie gaming. Check it out!
Thank you to Black Salt Games and Team17 for providing a review code!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:23
Story Setup 13:18
Gameplay 21:30
Visuals/Music/Closing Thoughts 48:15
SPOILER WALL 1:01:43

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For longtime fans of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a fun "familiar faces in new places" ride, almost like seeing your favorite characters putting on a play. Your favorite faces and voices take on the roles of historical figures in 1860s Japan, as rival forces compete for the rule of Japan and reshape society as we know it. Joining me in this episode is Nave from Gaming Together: A Cooperative Podcast, and you should check out the show, it's great!

TIMESTAMPS
Intro/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:58
Story Setup/Familiar Faces in New Places 11:14
Open World/Setting/Combat 32:08
Visuals/Music/Closing Thoughts 1:03:02
SPOILER WALL 1:17:25

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Dave is joined by Matt aka Stormageddon for another Producer's Choice episode, focusing on why we love the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series. Ryu Ga Gotoku's long-running crime melodrama series has introduced us to some of our favorite protagonists, side characters and level 100 weirdos through the years, so we wanted to take some time and talk about it. You can find all of Matt's wonderful podcasts ("Fun" and Games, Reignite, Screen Snark) on your favorite podcast app or at their website.

Producer's Choice is a bonus series on Tales from the Backlog, where Patreon supporters at the "Tube Producer" level get to pick an episode topic and come on the show to chat about it. If that sounds cool to you, or you want to vote on games for the show, get patron-only episodes and have my everlasting love and respect, you can support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon!. If Patreon isn't your jam, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
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There's an extremely common refrain out there in Gaming Discourse Land that goes a little something like this- "if you're not having fun with a game, why are you playing it?" and it got me thinking....is that all games should offer? Do things like frustration, getting lost, tedium or even boredom have a place in video games? So I enlisted some all-star guests to discuss it- Brad Gallaway (gamecritics.com, So...Videogames! podcast) and Ryan Batie (Lightning Strikes Thrice podcast). Check out their work via those links!

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Pentiment, by Obsidian Entertainment, made an immediate impression on everybody who saw the art style, and then saw that this game wasn't made by an indie team with a dream, it was made by one of the most established and respected game studios out there. The incredible art is only the tip of the iceberg in this journey to the past. The music, writing, characters and plot all take you into 16 century Bavaria for a tale of murder, faith, tragedy and hope, and I was joined by the one and only TroytlePower to discuss it! You can find Troy on Twitter and check out Troy's writing and podcasts at his website!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:24
Story Setup/Gameplay 15:39
Art/Music 41:07
SPOILER WALL 58:16

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is many things. It was a giant risk. It is a joyous experience as an open world sandbox, but it alienated some longtime fans of the Zelda series. It is a callback to the original Legend of Zelda game. It's also the one single game that I can say brought me back into gaming in 2017. Jake and Cameron from the Pre-Order Bonus podcast (Website, Twitter) join me to discuss this landmark title.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:15
Story Setup/Open World 20:38
Gameplay/Exploration 40:58
Emergent Gameplay 1:03:18
Music/Final Thoughts 1:49:37
SPOILER WALL 2:05:53

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The gaming landscape is so full of games aping what makes other games successful that we end up with a lot of games that are of good quality but otherwise unremarkable. And then on the other side of the room is Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. Stranger of Paradise uses the setting of the first Final Fantasy game to give Jack space to cook, and cook he does. The result is a game that does swing and miss in some areas, but will leave a mark in your memory more than a lot of games that might be "better". So which of those would you rather play? Joining me to discuss Stranger of Paradise is Eric Gess of The Unlockables and Keith Gasper of The Main Quest, two podcasts that are great and worth your time. Click the links to check out their shows!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:12
Story Setup/Jack 19:24
Combat/Gameplay 34:16
Visuals/Music 1:08:18
SPOILER WALL 1:31:25

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We haaaave a plan! Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar's 2018 western open world mega hit tells the story of Arthur Morgan and the decline of the outlaw era of American history...when you can pull yourself away from the hunting and fishing. Alex and Luke join to discuss this masterpiece in storytelling. You can check out Low Five Gaming on every podcast app or by visiting their website.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:04
Story Setup/Presentation 12:31
Methodical Gameplay 35:21
Combat/Closing Thoughts 1:11:36
SPOILER WALL 1:28:06

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Catherine: Full Body, the 2019 re-release of the original Catherine from 2011, is one of the more unique games I've ever played. A mashup of life sim and watching an anime, all built around an interesting puzzle game. Themes of adultery, responsibility, relationships, indecision and social commentary on modern-day Japan are all parts of a story that really surprised me. I didn't know what to expect from this game before I played it, but I was very pleasantly surprised. I'm joined in this episode by Rick Firestone from Pixel Project Radio and Ryan Juengling from List Off!, two good friends of mine from two of my favorite gaming podcasts. Check out Rick on Pixel Project Radio and Ryan on List Off!, and all three of us making appearances on each show!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:06
Story Setup 15:38
Visuals/Music/Voice Acting 35:30
Gameplay/Final Thoughts 42:37
SPOILER WALL 1:10:03

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Silicon Dreams, the product of two-person studio Clockwork Bird, has one hell of an elevator pitch- "Blade Runner meets Papers, Please". For the right type of person, that pitch should rocket this game straight up to the top of the to-play list. It is a text-based interrogation game, where you are tasked with getting to the root of problem behaviors in androids through a series of dialogue puzzles. Excellent writing and a new perspective on a not-so-new story lift Silicon Dreams above its elevator pitch, and it is absolutely worth a play if that elevator pitch sounds good to you at all. I'm joined by good friend and returning guest to the show Scott Danielson to discuss!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:01
Story Setup 8:41
Decision Making/Music/Final Thoughts 38:21
SPOILER WALL 1:06:14

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Chained Echoes, a solo project by developer Matthias Linda, might grab your attention with its elevator pitch- "The JRPG classics like Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Suikoden, Secret of Mana and more get a modern makeover/love letter", but to say that all Chained Echoes does is modernize those games would only be telling half of the story. Chained Echoes not only writes an effective love letter to the games that inspired it, but stands on its own merits as one of the best in the genre with its inventive combat system, satisfying story and great visuals and music. I'm joined by my A Top 3 Podcast co-host Aaron Angle to discuss it!

Chained Echoes OST was done by Eddie Marianukroh! You can support by purchasing this awesome OST here!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:11
Story Setup 12:15
Combat 33:35
RPG Stuff 1:01:22
Visuals/Music 1:16:07
SPOILER WALL 1:32:09

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Dave is joined by Brian Edwards of Character Issues and Cane and Rinse podcasts to discuss Nier: Replicant. Yoko Taro's 2010 cult classic got a makeover in 2021, so let's find out how it is! Nier will do anything to save his sick sister Yonah, and along the way he meets a stellar supporting cast of characters, including the stuck-up talking book Grimoire Weiss, the scantily clad badass Kaine, and the lovable Emil. Joining me to discuss the story, characters and gameplay is none other than Brian Edwards! You may have heard Brian on the wonderful Character Issues and Cane and Rinse podcasts. Brian is a wonderful person and I loved this conversation with him- you should check out Character Issues and Cane and Rinse by following the links!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:23
Story Setup/Characters/Repetition 16:09
Visuals/Music/Atmosphere 54:01
Gameplay 1:09:21
Final Thoughts/Housekeeping 1:24:33
SPOILER WALL 1:30:46

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Emergent gameplay- when simple gameplay mechanics interact to create unique and complex situations and solutions to problems, and it might be the secret sauce that takes your favorite games from good to great! I'm joined by Moonborne, Alex (Please Don't Listen) and Nave (Gaming Together) to talk about emergent gameplay and our favorite examples from games like Breath of the Wild, Hitman, Deus Ex, Rain World, Magic: The Gathering and more! You should also check out Moonborne's YouTube Channel, Please Don't Cast, and Gaming Together!

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Eastward (Pixpil) is a game that has a great elevator pitch- absolutely gorgeous pixel art, bopping music and gameplay/story that evoke The Legend of Zelda, Earthbound and Dragon Quest, but failed to live up to the heights of any of those games for me. Poor pacing and a baffling decision to have a silent protagonist dragged this game way down into the "this feels like homework" zone. And that's a shame, because a) we never want a game to feel like that, and b) this game won a patreon poll! I still love you, patrons!

Joining me on the podcast to discuss Eastward is Chris Dominguez, one of the two hosts of A Novel Console, a podcast dedicated to video games, books and food. As I told them on the show- if you're not up for video games, books and food, I don't know what to tell you. You can check out their show by following this link, and I was also on their show last week to talk about The Lord of the Rings and all of the other Tolkien adaptations.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:16
Story Setup 11:12
Aesthetics 34:02
Gameplay 40:49
SPOILER WALL 1:07:42

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Sequels are tricky! There are a few schools of thought, and God of War: Ragnarök is about as direct a sequel as you could imagine, especially for a video game. It takes the God of War reboot from 2018 and adds to it in every aspect...but were those additions productive? Or does this sequel sag under its own weight? Listen in to find out.

Joining me to discuss God of War: Ragnarök is Ryan Juengling, host of the now-retired List Off! podcast. Brian and Ryan have tipped their hats and ridden off into the sunset, but they have 2 years of video game lists on their show List Off! that I highly recommend! You can find their show by searching in your favorite podcast app or by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:12
Story Setup 11:38
Presentation/Voice Acting 32:37
Gameplay 44:32
SPOILER WALL 1:08:35

God of War: Ragnarök OST composed by** Bear McCreary**.

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Tunic is a game I respect more than I actually enjoyed playing, when it was all said and done. I respect the vision to rely almost completely on the player to do the extra work that other games do for them, and I had some struggles with this due to my goldfish brain. I respect the attempt to make a challenging game that is unlocked by piecing together opaque mechanics, but I found it to be too difficult at a base level. And I respect the hell out of the art design and music, even though....nevermind, the art and music are great throughout. And if you condensed this game's target demographic down to one person, it would be my guest for this episode, Ryan Batie of Lightning Strikes Thrice podcast. Lightning Strikes Thrice! is a book club style podcast for JRPGs- you can and should check it out HERE!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:03
Story Setup/Discovery 17:11
Gameplay 34:27
Visuals/Music 54:45
SPOILER WALL 1:06:51

Tunic's OST is by Lifeformed and Janice Kwan!

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"A cozy management game about dying"- this elevator pitch tells you all you need to know about Spiritfarer, the 2020 indie darling by Thunder Lotus Games. Spiritfarer mixes addicting management/crafting gameplay with an exploration of death- the impact that people have on others, unfinished business and the idea of closure. I was extremely lucky to be joined by Charlie and Lauren Young for this episode- the spoiler section is one of my favorites in the history of the show thus far. NOTE Please check the content warning at the beginning of the episode, as this game and episode both deal heavily in personal experiences with death.

TIMESTAMPS
Content Warning 1:05
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:08
Story Setup/Characters/Exploration of Death 12:12
Gameplay 33:38
Music and Visuals 51:45
SPOILER WALL 1:11:36

Spiritfarer OST is by Max LL! Find his music HERE and support him!

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It may surprise everyone to know that I just played Metal Gear Solid for the first time! And it was....an experience! And adding onto the experience was doing this episode with pro voice actor Mick Arcade! This is one of the most entertaining episodes of the show so far, as we make our way through the hundreds of plot twists, and Mick provides so many great voice impressions. Check out everything that Mick is doing around the internet HERE!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:16
Story Setup/Kojima-isms 19:44
Gameplay 42:13
Presentation/Music 58:33
SPOILER WALL 1:19:55

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Bayonetta 3 represents a turning point for the series. A new protagonist is introduced, story takes more of a center stage role, and the levels give you lots of optional content to do in between fights. But all of that raises the question...is all of that worth it? And even more crucially, did it enhance the game? Joining me to discuss it all is Matt aka Stormageddon, host of many great shows on the Certain POV Network, such as "Fun" and Games, Reignite, Screen Snark and CPOV: Autographs. You can find all of Matt's shows and more by visiting djstormageddon.com!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:06
Story Setup 20:20
Combat/Gameplay 35:18
Level Exploration/Optional Gameplay/Final Thoughts 58:40
SPOILER WALL 1:27:34

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Thank you Jake! In the second installment of the Tube V.I.P. Producer's Choice, longtime friend and patron of the show Jake aka Zulgeek joins me to talk about our top 3 childhood gaming traditions. This is a mini series on Tales from the Backlog where patrons at the Tube Producer level can join me for an episode about whatever they want! If you're interested, you can click the link below to check out the Patreon page!
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For this Break from the Backlog, we're doing a roundtable discussion on long games and why some keep us engaged into the triple-digit hour counts while some burn us out long before. I was joined by three wonderful guests, Jared Moss (Play Along Podcast), Bill Barber (Gaming and Collecting) and Aaron Klaassen (Super Pod Saga). You can, and should, check out their shows!

TIMESTAMPS
Long Games We Loved 1:28
Long Games that Burned Us Out 55:12

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Some other entries in the long running Final Fantasy series have more mainstream attention, but Square's Final Fantasy IX is the one that feels like the underground favorite. Hailed as a love letter to all of the games in the series that came before it, Final Fantasy IX returns the series to high fantasy and puts together a top-notch cast of characters. Joining me to discuss it is Rick Firestone from Pixel Project Radio and Alejandro Ortiz from A Random Gamer's Corner. You can, and should, check out their podcasts by following this link for Pixel Project Radio and this link for A Random Gamer's Corner.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:10
Story Setup/"Back to Basics" 19:28
Visuals 46:39
Music 54:09
Combat/Gameplay 1:01:29
To Remake? 1:21:53
SPOILER WALL 1:34:52

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What happens when a game is created with the idea of re-capturing nostalgia for an age gone by, but you don't share that nostalgia? Turns out, if the game is as good as Shovel Knight (Yacht Club Games), that doesn't matter! Shovel Knight is a masterpiece from front to back- it has tight gameplay, best-in-class tutorialization, fun boss fights, and a god-tier soundtrack. It is an absolute treat from start to finish, and I had the great pleasure of talking with Mikey Tabletop from Big Drink Energy about it in this episode. Find all things Big Drink Energy by following this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:45
Development History/Story Setup 18:24
Gameplay 26:54
Boss Fights/Visuals/Music 50:39
SPOILER WALL 1:12:45

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I thought I knew what to expect from Xenoblade Chronicles 3 as a series fan, and in some ways, I was right. The gameplay, soundtrack, world design and combat were what I knew to expect from a Xenoblade game, to varying degrees of enjoyment. But the story and worldbuilding absolutely blew me away, in a series known for story and worldbuilding! And I was lucky enough to be joined by Kolby from Switch it Up podcast to discuss! You can find Switch it Up on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Twitter!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:18
Story Setup/Story Thoughts 15:37
Gameplay/Exploration 39:29
Combat 50:22
Music 1:02:35
SPOILER WALL 1:16:34

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Per tradition, I end the year by talking about my favorite games that I played. This one focuses on 2022 releases, and if you'd like to hear me talk about the non-2022-release games that I loved this year, you can hear it by supporting Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
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Of of 2021's surprise breakout favorites makes its way onto the podcast! Modern Storyteller's reimagining of a successful Skyrim mod, The Forgotten City, tells the story of a society that lives under a draconic "Golden Rule"- where if one person sins, everybody dies...and somebody is going to break the Golden Rule soon. What unfolds over the next 6-10 hours is a thoroughly enjoyable mystery, full of memorable characters, beautiful locations and some real pieces of shit that you just want to fill full of arrows....but you can't!

I was joined in this episode by Chris from the 1 Hour 1 Decision podcast to discuss this one! They pick a random game on Xbox Game Pass, play the first hour, and discuss whether they want to continue playing or not! You can find the show by searching in your favorite podcast app or by clicking this link!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:33
Story Setup 14:10
Gameplay/Visuals/Music 29:55
Final Thoughts 46:52
SPOILER WALL 52:13

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Some games are worth the wait! Inscryption was a game that I had to sit and listen to everyone say "this is awesome! I can't tell you why though, but trust me!" for a while before it finally came to a platform that I own. But again, worth the wait! And I deep dive on it with John Rogers from Gaming in the Wild, which can be found wherever you listen to podcasts or by following this link.