Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Podcast

Kat and Nadia talk about the Final Fantasy VII Remake (4:20), Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen (8:55), and Divinity Original Sin 2 (17:20) before diving into a brand new Chrono Trigger Report (22:20). Plus: Even more reader responses! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia talk about the importance of NPCs in the context of Destiny 2 (1:00), review Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (7:30), and offer their impressions after a couple weeks with Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (26:10). Plus we read your responses to last week's Skyrim discussion! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia share Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valentia impressions (5:00) and rant about Skyrim topping Game Informer's Top 100 RPGs of All Time list (22:00), then welcome news editor Matt Kim and his pitch for Nier: Automata being the Game of the Year in a year that has thus far included... a lot of good games (37:08). Listen and let the power of the Blood God flow through you! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia use the latest episode of the RPG podcast to cover a wide range of topics, including Morrowind's 15th anniversary (01:00), Nadia's initial thoughts on Persona 5 (5:20), Deep Learning AI in RPGs (18:15), Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadow of Valentia's expensive DLC (33:15) and, of course, our review of Trails in the Sky the 3rd. Plus, we read your responses to our deep dive into RPG dungeons! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia delve deep into RPG dungeons this week (30:44), where they talk about their origins, their purposes, and what makes them enjoyable. They also share some of their favorites! Also in this episode, Kat and Nadia discuss Ian Bogost's recent argument that games shouldn't have stories. Naturally, as RPG fans, Kat and Nadia have Thoughts. Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia get together to discuss Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valentia (2:00) before being joined by Cosmic Star Heroine creator Robert Boyd for a discussion of the trials and travails of developing an indie RPG (28:00). Bonus: The penultimate Persona 4 Golden Report! (14:00). Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Axe of the Blood God's 100th episode, and after a quick discussion about Dragon Quest XI, Kat and Nadia use the occasion to talk about their history with the genre and why it means so much to them (14:10). Afterward, Caty drops in to share some thoughts of her (55:14), and we hear from you the listener on why RPGs are just the best. Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Read more at http://bloodgodpod.libsyn.com/#KqJoKWyobFJtjhLp.99 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia get together to talk about the possibility of Seiken Densetsu 3 getting an official English release on Switch (1:04), then talk about their progress through Breath of the Wild (12:40), Persona 5's harsh streaming guidelines (31:52), and, of course, another Persona 4 Golden Report (47:42). Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat is joined by Nadia and Caty for another Persona 4 Golden Report (20:34), Persona 5 chatter (42:34, no spoilers), and a look at the Final Fantasy XV DLC (03:00). Then Destiny superfan Doc Burford drops by to sell us all of on his favorite shooter and talk about the recent Destiny 2 trailer (01:14:44). Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat is joined by special guest Rowan Kaiser this week for a spoiler-free discussion on what's gone wrong with Mass Effect Andromeda (24:05), as well as to look back on the original trilogy. Plus, Kat and Rowan finally get a chance to talk about the RPG that fell between the cracks of this crazy release season -- Torment: Tides of Numenera! (00:30) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's episode of Nadia and Kat goofing on Mass Effect Andromeda's odd animation problems (1:00) before returning to Persona 4 (10:45) and Chrono Trigger (26:27). Then Caty returns to talk Nier Automata (41:00) and which Shin Megami Tensei games to play after Persona 5 (1:04:30). It's a double helping of RPG goodness! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Read more at http://bloodgodpod.libsyn.com/#jCljPgi1Kg43opvc.99 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia talk about their experiences with the Nintendo Switch (1:00), then dive deep into a discussion of Breath of the Wild covering its differences from previous games, its difficulty, its RPG elements, and much more (21:40). Suffice it to say we really like it! Minor spoilers up to the point where you might head to your first dungeon. Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat invites friend of the pod Steve Tramer aboard to talk about Horizon Zero Dawn's quest design (04:20) before taking a deep dive back into Final Fantasy XV (10:30). Then Kat shares another Chrono Trigger Report (44:50), after which the two ping through Nier (01:08:35), the Switch (01:12:20), and Night in the Woods (01:19:30). Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

USgamer's new reviews editor Caty McCarthy joins Kat and Nadia to talk Persona 3 (04:40) and Horizon Zero Dawn (22:20). Then Kat and Nadia have a frank conversation about review scores (40:15) before ending with a warm and fuzzy conversation about Chrono Trigger (47:00). Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia discuss Teddy's big reveal in their latest Persona 4 Golden Report, then talk about the ways in which microtransactions corrupt RPGs in Fire Emblem Heroes. 00:00 Intro 05:12 Personal 4 Golden Report: Teddy's Big Reveal 14:42: Fire Emblem Heroes 44:38: Nioh 01:17:00 Outro Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat shares her experiences with the Switch and Horizon Zero Dawn, Nadia rants about the absence of Final Fantasy VII Remake, and the pair deliver their verdict on whether Kat should play Persona 3 Portable or Chrono Trigger while on the road. 0:00 Intro 02:00 Nintendo Switch Impressions and Zelda Escape Room 15:18: Persona 4 Golden Report 31:40 Where is Final Fantasy VII Remake? 38:45 BioWare's New IP 45:00 Horizon Zero Dawn 55:58: Chrono Trigger or Persona 3 Portable? The Vedict! Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia discuss the recently announced Pillars of Eternity sequel, life after Pokemon Bank, and Dragon Quest VIII before hopping into an interview with Brian Fargo about Torment: Tides of Numenera! 02:39 Persona 4 Golden Report 18:06 Pillars of Eternity Sequel 22:40 Pokemon Bank! 31:26 Dragon Quest VIII and Kat's Next RPG 38:47: Torment: Tides of Numera Interview 59:54: Wrap-up and contact info Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show. Read more at http://bloodgodpod.libsyn.com/#JY7carkKlAHRJMA1.99 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia goof on one another for their travails in Final Fantasy IV and Persona 4 Golden (and talk about curry) before settling down to look at the Switch's announced RPG lineup and its long-term prospects. After that, it's on to Fire Emblem as Kat lays out the franchise's decline and subsequent revival and talks about the newly-announced games. Read more at http://usgamer.net! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @usgamernet! Have comments or questions about the show? Email us at [email protected]. We may read your letter on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia welcome Polygon's Matt Leone discuss everything we learned from his mammoth oral history of Final Fantasy VII. Uematsu was jealous of Suikoden? Square almost killed off the entire cast? There are a lot of great revelations, and a ton of ground to cover in his outstanding piece of history, and we discuss it all here. Plus! Another Persona 4 Golden Report and the untimely death of Scalebound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia conduct another Persona 4 Golden Report, talk some Final Fantasy IV, then settle into a discussion of the most interesting RPGs of 2017. Persona 5! Mass Effect Andromeda! Horizon Zero Dawn! South Park! Torment: Tides of Numenera! It's going to be another great year for RPGs, so join us as we talk about the ones we're looking forward to the most! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia get together to recap all of the most interesting RPGs before picking the Blood God's Chosen RPG of 2016. Pokemon! Final Fantasy XV! Fire Emblem Fates! Dragon Quest VII! Deus Ex! Witcher 3! We hit them all and more as we relive the past year in RPGs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Williams joins Kat and Nadia to explain why he thinks Knights of the Old Republic is the best Star Wars game ever made. Then, Nadia shares a Persona 4 update before the pair talk Valkyria Revolution, SD Gundam, and the Switch's specs. All of the teraflops? All of the teraflops. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nadia returns to the show to share some opening thoughts on Persona 4 Golden, speculate on Ni No Kuni 2, and take a dice into SD Gundam Generation Genesis. Then it's back to Final Fantasy XV as the pair read your thoughts and discuss the Square Enix's decision to patch certain elements of the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Polygon's Phil Kollar and long-time JRPG enthusiastic Miguel Concepcion join Kat to go in-depth on Final Fantasy XV. Does the open-world world? Is that combat actually better than it seems? And what music did they listen to while cruising around in the Regalia? (Spoiler: Kat liked Final Fantasy IX). It's been a long-time coming, but it's time to finally dig in to the game we never thought would come out. End times, my friends. End times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia recall their misspent youths playing RPGs over Thanksgiving, then delve into the Vita's secret strengths and rumors of Pokemon Stars for the Nintendo Switch, before finishing off with a discussion of which Pokemon is the best to start with. Grab a leftover turkey sandwich and settle in for another hour of RPG discussion over the holiday weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia recount Conan O'Brien's Clueless Gamer segment on Final Fantasy XV and discuss the latest Persona 5 delay, then dive deep into Pokemon Sun and Moon. Is the story successful? How are the totem battles? Do we like the new monsters? And just how glad are we that HMs are finally dead? (Spoiler: We're really glad). Note: Spoilers begin at the 44:15 mark and end at the 1:04:10 mark of the episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia put aside their post-election gallows humor to discuss the recent Mass Effect Andromeda info dump, the first hours of Tyranny, and what RPGs they would like to see from the villain's point of view. Plus, our Underrated RPG Pitches segment return with a pitch for Grandia 2! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nadia and Kat have a lot to rant about as they take on Skyrim Special Edition, Exist Archive, and what accessibility means for the RPG genre. Does Skyrim hold up? Does Exist Archive deserve to called a spiritual successor to Valkyrie Profile? All of this and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legendary RPG designer Brian Fargo joins the pod to discuss Wasteland 3, his history with the series, the evolution of RPGs, and what it was like to make games back in the '80s. But first, Jeremy and Nadia go in-depth on Final Fantasy XV. Do the characters work? Is the battle system better than advertised? All of our impressions and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia go in-depth on Nintendo's newest console. Is it the heir to the Japanese market? Can it go toe-to-toe with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4? And just how excited are we to play Skyrim on the road? All this and more as take a deep dive into the Nintendo Switch. Plus: We discuss the demos for World of Final Fantasy and Pokemon Sun and Moon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nadia and Kat share some additional thoughts on Dragon Quest Builders, then Kat talks about her hands-on experience Pokemon Sun & Moon and how it's coming along. In the second segment, they puzzle over a potential teaser for Bravely Third before taking yet another underrated RPG pitch. Exciting! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia make their first foray into Dragon Quest Builders, examine Darkest Dungeon's foray onto console, and heap (deserved) praise on Steamworld Heist. Then Bob drops by to share his thoughts on Yo-Kai Watch and the possibility of VR RPGs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia share some more thoughts on Persona 5's import version, discuss the Wasteland 3 announcement, and revisit the merits of Dragon Quest on mobile. Then, at 31:15, Bryan Wiedey of pastapadre.com joins the pod to talk about the advent of story modes in sports sims and why they are putting a greater emphasis on roleplaying than ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elliot Gay returns to share his thoughts on the first 40 (!) hours of Persona 5, then sticks around to offer his opinion on Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse and Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers. It's a Japanese import extravaganza! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia get together to discuss a remake that's been a long time coming in North America: Dragon Quest VII. What's the story like? Does it improve on the flawed PSX version? And how long does it take to get to an actual battle? All that and more! Plus: Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander and Trails of Cold Steel 2 feedback! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia take a look at Trails of Cold Steel 2, then Kat takes an Underrated RPG pitch for her favorite RPG of all time: Valkyrie Profile. Afterward (38:38), Jaz and Mike drop by to discuss the pros and cons of the newly-released World of WarCraft: Legion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat, Nadia, and Bob continue their ongoing "SNES in Perspective" series with the big one: Final Fantasy. How did the SNES change Final Fantasy and vice versa? What was it about the 16-bit era that seemed to find Hironobu Sakaguchi and company at their best? We discuss! Plus: We delve into Fallout 4's Nuka-World DLC and God Eater! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Bob get together to discuss the little known SNES RPG Robotrek, then Kat welcomes Chris Avellone and Swen Vincke to discuss Divinity: Original Sin 2 - the sequel to 2014's breakout hit RPG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia chat about some of the latest RPG news (and lament Ash's Pokemon League failures) before diving into the Super Nintendo's impact on the Seiken Densetsu series (20:15) and discussing another underrated RPG pitch (45:35). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Bob get together to pay their respects to Manabu Daishima, talk about Dragon Quest X on the NX and how it's still alive (02:50), true tales of localization hell (12:15), how the move to the SNES affected Dragon Quest (26:07), and more pitches for underrated RPGs (49:10). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia mark the final days before the next storm of games hit by discussing Ys: Oath in Felghana; Kat's difficulty in engaging with Witcher 3 (12:40); why Dragon Age Inquisition is underrated (25:25); the Pokemon Go controversy's impact on the main series (37:20), and listener pitches for lesser-known RPGs (53:13). It's a summer RPG feast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JRPG nerds unite as Kotaku's Jason Schreier joins Kat and Nadia for this week's episode of the podcast. The trio begin by discussing Trails of Cold Steel before moving on to reviewing I Am Setuna (19:30) - the new RPG by Square Enix's Tokyo RPG Factory. Does it live up to expectations? Listen and find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's Kat-less episode, Bob, Mike, and Nadia dive into the many RPG releases of the next few months while lamenting their lack of free time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pokemon Go mania has gripped the Internet, but not Bob Mackey, who is this week's guest. Kat and Bob debate the merits of Pokemon Go, then review Monster Hunter Generations (24:00) in this monster-filled episode of our RPG podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat once again teams up with the crew from 8-4 Play to discuss the progress JRPGs have made over the past 10 years. How has Japanese game development changed, and where is it going? We crack open a chuhai and delve into a tumultuous period in the genre's history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat, Bob, and Nadia discuss Final Fantasy's latest turn on mobile and review the new Star Ocean (15:40) before moving on to discuss the best RPGs through the first half of 2016 (33:56). Odin Sphere, Dark Souls, Fire Emblem Fates, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With E3 2016 now behind them, Kat and Nadia talk about why RPGs struggle to demo well at big events before jumping into a discussion of Grand Kingdom - the new tactics RPG from NISA. Then, in the second segment, Mike joins the crew to extol the virtues of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat, Jeremy, and Mike come together to discuss RPGs including Horizon: Zero Dawn, Persona 5, Dragon Quest Builds, and of course, Zelda in their post-E3 wrapup show. Lots and lots of RPGs to cover as the USG crew finishes up yet another E3! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Angels sound from on high as Square Enix finally announces the Final Fantasy XII HD Remake, and our fearless leader Jeremy Parish drops by to share his love for one of the franchise's most controversial games. Then Elliot Gay returns to discuss why American anime fans should be excited about Super Robot War V (23:33), and Nadia and Kat revisit Odin Sphere Leifthrasir (49:10) in this packed pre-E3 episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a packed episode this week as Kat and Nadia revisit Bravely Second and Dragon Quest Monster Joker 2, offer initial thoughts on Odin Sphere Leifthrasir (27:00), discuss the campaign to revive Suikoden (33:40), and examine how Valkyria Chronicles and Persona delve into Jewish persecution and gender roles respectively (48:26). For more content like this check us out at http://usgamer.net! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices