Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Podcast

From Interceptor to Boo, animal buddies have a strong history in RPGs. Kat and Nadia trace their history from the days of Dragon Quest 5 to the present day, discussing their various usages, as well as ranking their five favorites (spoiler: Dogmeat is in there, because Dogmeat is a very good boy). Plus, Kat and Nadia review SteamWorld Quest! Does Image and Form's popular indie series successfully make the transition to card-based RPG? Find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia go through their extensive mailbag to talk about which popular games deserve RPG spinoffs; BioWare's next-gen plans, and how to introduce people to this wonder and crazy genre that we love. Plus, Joker's translation to Smash Bros., what it means for for Persona 5 on Switch, Final Fantasy X versus X-2, and Kat's long-awaited impressions of Super Robot Wars T! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat abandoned USG to go run with the bulls in Spain, so it's up to Nadia and special guests Anthony John Agnello and John Learned to keep the show afloat (they are both recovering from the black plague; please excuse their coughs). This week, we have a deep and serious discussion about a rumored remake for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past before we talk at length about Final Fantasy 7 on the Switch and its related music bug. Then our conversation smoooothly segues into the challenges of reviewing lengthy games like RPGs. Enjoy, and don't trust any dolphin that offers to let you jump off its stupid pointed face. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Top 25 RPG Countdown is officially finished! But there are a whole bunch of amazing RPGs we didn't get a chance to cover. From Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door, to Final Fantasy Tactics, to Ultima Underworld, Nadia and Kat talk about the best of the rest. Also, they dive into the big Anthem expose and what it means for BioWare, and talk about everything they saw at PAX East, including Kat's conversation with The Outer Worlds development team! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Axe of the Blood God's 200th Episode, and also the end of the Top 25 RPG Countdown! To celebrate, Kat and Nadia pick some more bests from RPG history. What's the best RPG soundtrack? How about the best story? The pair go through multiple categories, then finish up by picking the Best RPG of All Time. It's the biggest event in Axe of the Blood God history, so don't miss out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia wrap up GDC by talking Google Stadia and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, a sequel that they're already excited to play. Then it's on to number two on the Top 25 RPG Countdown: Planescape: Torment! Kat and Nadia talk about what made its story so good, why it was the apex of the Golden Age of RPGs, and more. Finally, they delve into a clash of two heavyweights: Final Fantasy 6 and Final Fantasy 7! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caty joins Kat to discuss #3 on our Top 25 list of RPGs: Witcher 3! The pair talk its splendid open world, its fantastic writing, and the expert way it handles romances. Kat has even come around on the combat. Plus, Nadia drops by to talk Fire Emblem Heroes, the drug scandal that has engulfed Judgment, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Final Fantasy 6 is the latest entry in our Top 25 RPG countdown, and in honor of one of the greatest RPGs ever made, it's time to talk about the biggest RPG plot twists! Nadia and Kat talk Star Ocean, Mass Effect and more as they break down some of the biggest plot twists in RPG history, as well whether or not they work. After that, it's time for the main event, as Kat and Nadia talk General Leo, Sabin vs. Sah-bin, letting Cid die, and more in their big Final Fantasy 6 discussion! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special interview episode of Axe of the Blood God, Kat sits down with Red Hook Studios developers Chris Bourassa and Tyler Sigman to talk about the making of Darkest Dungeon, the creation of its iconic characters, and its troubled ports to other platforms. Along the way, she gets some fresh insight into Darkest Dungeon 2, including how Red Hook Studios intends to tackle the story behind its growing universe. Check it out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kotaku's Jason Schreier returns for number five on our Top 25 RPG countdown: Suikoden 2! He joins Kat and Nadia to talk about 108 Stars of Destiny, Iron Chef cooking challenges, Luca Blight vs. Kefka, and much more. Plus, Pokemon Sword and Shield have been announced as the latest Pokemon generation, and Kat and Nadia have thoughts on how it will translate to Switch! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat bids farewell to Reggie Fils-Aime as he heads into a well-deserved retirement, then digs into Anthem alongside guest Mike Williams. And the question is: What the heck happened? The pair talk about its broken loot, mission structure, and other problems, and also some of what it got right. Plus, in what is fast becoming a weekly segment, Kat rants about EA's handling of BioWare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week's Activision Blizzard layoffs cast a pall over Blizzard, developer of the most successful MMORPG ever made. Kat and Nadia discuss what it all means, why the layoffs were especially brutal, and more. After that, Kat celebrates Final Fantasy 8's anniversary by reminding everyone that it was good, and the pair take a look at the recent Nintendo Direct reveals. Finally, guest Rowan Kaiser returns to talk about #6 on our Top 25 RPG list: Ultima 7! Find out how it revolutionized the open world RPG genre, and why it's still a remarkable game nearly 30 years later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Nadia away, Mike Williams returns for #7 on the Top 25 RPG Countdown list: Fallout! Mike and Kat talk about its amazing writing, the memorable world it created, and why the rest of the Fallout series is still trying to match it to this day. Plus, Mike and Kat go through all of the week's RPG news while talking about how Anthem can avoid the mistakes of BioWare's last online game: Star Wars: The Old Republic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Wii Shop is officially gone, making high-quality versions of everything from Chrono Trigger to Faxanadu much harder to find. Nadia and Kat go through the list to highlight the various affected RPGs (Ogre Battle!), alternative sources for playing them, and of course, why they're worth remembering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having looked back on the history of Kingdom Hearts, it's time to talk about the newest game in the series: Kingdom Hearts 3! Caty, Kat, and Nadia get together to talk about how well it wraps up the story; the updates to the battle system, and its notable lack of Final Fantasy. Plus, Kat shares her thoughts on Anthem, and wonders if BioWare might have botched a key part of its appeal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia are joined by Kingdom Hearts fan Caty McCarthy to look back on the history of the series up until now. How does it reflect animation history, and what the heck is up with that story? We answer these questions and more as we reflect on Tetsuya Nomura's masterpiece (?) til now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia leap back into the Top 25 RPG countdown with the best Dragon Quest of them all: Dragon Quest V! The pair explain why its epic sweep, monster hunting mechanics, and odd (but hilarious) romance system make it a classic. Plus, they cover the big Destiny split, Tales of Vesperia on Switch, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia ask five big questions as they preview the year 2019 in RPGs. Will Kingdom Hearts 3 live up to expectations? Will Anthem save BioWare? And what about Persona 5 on Switch. Plus, we talk about some of the smaller RPGs that we're excited to play in the new year (Indivisible!). Will 2019 rebound after a so-so 2018? Let's find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia conclude 2018 by each choosing their favorite RPG of 2018, as well as a couple underrated gems. Then they do one last mailbag while looking ahead to 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and the entire USG gang get together to recap all of the best games of 2018! From Red Dead Redemption 2 to Return of the Obra Dinn, we argue over what worked, what didn't work, and whether they match up to the best of 2018. Plus, we talk about the year's biggest trends, and look ahead to 2019! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many RPGs were released in 2018. Some of them were good, others were very bad. Kat and Nadia go through the calendar and talk about the high points and low points of an interesting year in RPGs, covering Monster Hunter: World, Octopath Traveler, Fallout 76, and more. Plus: Kat and Nadia recap the announcement of Persona's Joker for Smash Bros., and Kat gets very excited about The Outer Worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Persona 4 was a transformative RPG in many respects. Persona 5 might be even better. But which one should be represented in our Top 25 RPG Countdown? Kat and Nadia are still torn, so they've decided to hash it out in podcast form, comparing and contrasting their impacts, their immense positives, controversies, and more. Whichever one you support, it's a tribute to two outstanding RPGs. (Note: Major Persona 4 spoilers and some medium Persona 5 spoilers within this discussion). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mass Effect and KOTOR are more popular, but Baldur's Gate 2 is BioWare's magnum opus. Guest Troy Goodfellow joins Kat to break down the story, the world, and all the other reasons that this magnificent RPG deserves to be in the Top 10 RPGs of all time. Now available on Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's an RPG double-whammy as Nadia and Kat talk about why Pokemon Let's Go works so well, and reviews editor Mike Williams discusses why Fallout 76... uh... doesn't. It's a mixture of cute cuddly monsters and the post-apocalyptic in an episode that should have something for everyone. Special bonus: We discuss the newly-announced Final Fantasy XIV expansion and the introduction of the Blue Mage! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 15th anniversary of Fire Emblem's release in America, Kat and Nadia remember the first entry to make it overseas. They talk Marth and Roy's first appearance in Smash Bros. Melee, the reasons for Blazing Sword being chosen over Binding Blade, and of course, perma-death. Plus: An investigation into why Smash Bros. fans love Super Mario RPG's Geno, Hajime Tabata's shocking resignation, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia talk about some of the announcements from Blizzcon, including a Diablo mobile game, as well as the surprise appearance of Deltarune, the new game by Toby Fox. Then the pair share their impressions of Diablo 3 and talk about why it's such a great fit for Nintendo Switch. Afterward, special guest Matthew Allen comes on the show to add Elder Scrolls: Morrowind to our Top 25 RPGs list! Listen as we discuss why its story was ahead of its time, what made its world so unique, and why it was the end of an era for Bethesda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yee-haw! Red Dead Redemption 2 is here, and Kat and Nadia are here to rank their five favorite RPG cowboys (there are more than you think!) Plus, Kat and Nadia share their impressions of Fallout 76, and Kat talks about her continued neverending quest to finish Persona 5! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat is playing Persona 5... again! She and Nadia discuss her very slow progress through an admittedly great RPG while also taking some time to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Mother 3's fansub. Then special guest John Learned joins Kat and Mike Williams to add Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to our Top 25 RPG list! We talk about why it signaled a sea change in console RPGs, how it popularized BioWare, and why it's still one of the best Star Wars sandboxes around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caty McCarthy returns to talk about The World Ends With You's move to Nintendo Switch, where the group talk about how the controls translate, co-op, playing on the big screen, and the new endgame content. Then Mike Williams joins in to talk about Assassin's Creed Odyssey's bonafides as an RPG, its romantic options, and the troublesome problem of microtransactions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a week in which Axe of the Blood God pushes the big red button as Nadia returns from her trip to West Virginia to share her experience with Fallout 76. Kat and Nadia talk about what it's like to play solo, the nuclear quest, and whether it fits with the character of the series. Then Kat and Nadia add a new entry to their Top 25 RPG list: Fallout New Vegas! Listen as they talk about Fallout New Vegas' classic quests, its rich history, and the unique choices that help separate it from the rest of the 3D Fallout games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Avellone, writer of Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Fallout 2, and Divinity Original Sin 2, joins Kat to talk his newest game, making evil decisions in RPGs, and the state of RPG writing today. But not before Nadia and Kat review Valkyria Chronicles 4, where they discuss the updates to the tactics, the story, and how it plays on Switch! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the PlayStation Classic being officially announced, Nadia and Kat discuss the its rich RPG legacy and talk about which games will be announced for it yet (c'mon Valkyrie Profile). Then they continue the Top 25 RPG Countdown with the greatest Pokemon generation of them all: Gold and Silver! Kat and Nadia talk about the magic of Johto, the fun of returning to Kanto, and why it holds up better than any generation to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of Final Fantasy games just got announced for Switch. Final Fantasy VIII is not one of them. Nadia and Kat discuss its relative merits and discuss why it's getting ignored, plus delve a bit into some of the other announcements (like Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles!) Then legendary RPG developer Brian Fargo returns to talk Wasteland 2, Bard's Tale 4, the changing landscape of indie development, and his shifting attitude on Nintendo Switch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia are here to offer their spoiler-less review of Dragon Quest XI! Is it really just "more Dragon Quest VIII?" How does the cast stack up? And what about that music? The pair have plenty of thoughts on the latest entry in the series. Plus: Bob Mackey returns to add Earthbound to our Top 25 RPG list! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We take our Top 25 RPG countdown LIVE to PAX West, where we talk Renegade vs. Paragon, Male Shepard vs. Female Shepard, Kaidan vs. Ashley, and laugh along to the infamous alien sex scene. Special guests: Waypoint's Austin Walker, Vidjagame Apocalypse's Matthew Allen, and USG reviews editor Mike Williams! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Williams returns to talk about his massive history of World of WarCraft on USgamer, as well as to share his thoughts on the latest expansion. Then Nadia and Kat go over number 17 on their ongoing countdown of the Top 25 RPGs: Deus Ex! Find out why this groundbreaking PC RPG deserves to be counted among the greatest ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nadia and Kat take a break from the Top 25 RPG countdown to talk about what they miss from classic RPGs. Remember overworlds? Large party sizes? Fricking cloth maps? The pair reminisce about those old school features and more in this nostalgia laden episode of Axe of the Blood God. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat is once again joined by Retronauts host Jeremy Parish to explore the history of RPGs. This time they dive into PLATO, Wizardry, and Bard's Tale as they explore about the rise of the "second wave" of RPGs in the 1980s. Then David Craddock returns to talk about #18 on our Top 25 RPG Countdown: Diablo 2! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1UP alum Shane Bettenhausen joins Kat to talk about the best Genesis RPG ever: Phantasy Star IV! Plus, Nadia and Kat talk about space RPGs, what sets them apart from their counterparts in other subgenres, and wonder why theren't more of them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat is joined by Hirun Cryer to review Banner Saga 3. Does it effectively close the epic tactical RPG series? How does the gameplay hold up? And is being depressing necessarily a bad thing? Then Divinity: Original Sin 2 writer Kevin VanOrd and Gamesbeat's Jason Wilson join us to discuss number 20 in our Top 25 RPG Countdown: Divinity: Original Sin! Find out why this 2014 sleeper hit deserves to be considered a modern classic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat is joined by Mike Williams and Vidjagame Apocalypse co-host Matthew Allen to discuss number 21 on our Top 25 RPG Countdown: World of WarCraft! They talk about its RPG roots, why it changed MMORPGs forever, and why it continues to command a loyal audience to this day. Then Kat and Nadia respond to some of the more heated feedback from last episode's Octopath Traveler review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GameXplain co-host Derrick Bitner joins Kat and Nadia to review Octopath Traveler. Do the sprites match the quality of the environments? Which character did each host pick first? And can Nadia and Derrick convince Kat to upgrade from Prologue? Then, Kat is joined by guest Ryan Allen to add Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines to the Top 25 RPG countdown. They talk about how it's risen above its troubled development history, its amazing roleplaying possibilities, and why it's still supported by a cadre of dedicated fans to this day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nadia shares her initial impressions of Octopath Traveler, including the battle system, the graphics, and more. Then David Craddock returns to talk about Nethack, its remarkable support through the years, and tales of YASDs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our old friend Jeremy Parish returns to discuss the first entry in his new series about the history of RPGs, which covers Ultima, Teletype RPGs, and Richard Garriott's early programming experiments. Then we dive into number 24 on our Top 25 RPGs of All Time countdown: Tactics Ogre! We talk about its rich storyline, excellent tactics, and what sets it apart from its successor Final Fantasy Tactics (which is also great). Find out why Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is yet another underrated RPG gem! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's finally time! Kat and Nadia commence Axe of the Blood God's countdown of the Best 25 RPGs with an in-depth discussion of number 25 on our list! We discuss its history, what makes it stand out, some of its best moments, and ultimately why it holds up. Don't miss out! Plus, we're joined by GameXplain's Ash Paulsen to talk about Ys VIII's Switch port and its ongoing localization woes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia wrap up E3 2018 with a discussion of Valkyria Chronicles 4's Switch port, Fallout 76, Cyberpunk 2077, and more! Does Pokemon Let's Go prove that we no longer need random encounters in Pokemon? Are we okay with Cyberpunk 2077 being a shooter? How awesome does Fire Emblem look? And what's it like to be in the same room as Tetsuya Nomura? All that as we also announce a new weekly feature for the second half of 2018! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's officially E3 2018, and Nadia and Kat are here to break down the first run of announcements! They talk about Square Enix's missed opportunity, Kingdom Hearts 3's new trailer, Cyberpunk 2077, Shadows Die Twice, Elder Scrolls 6, and Starfield, then share what they want to see from Sony and Nintendo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia talk about Pokemon Let's Go, why the Kanto Pokedex is overrated, and what they would like out of Gen 8 on the Switch (hint: it's not another new region). Then they dive into Fallout 76 and Moonlighter, with asides into Stardew Valley and Battletech. Join them! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doc Burford returns to review Pillars of Eternity 2 with Kat. How does the sequel to Obsidian's cult favorite isometric RPG stack up to the original? Find out in this spoiler-free discussion! Plus, Kat and Doc wax poetic over Dragon Age: Origins, preview Disco Elysium, and ponder how to make detective RPGs work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat is officially back! And she and Nadia celebrate by talking Pokemon leaks, the first hands-on with Kingdom Hearts 3, and SMT Strange Journey Redux! Can you believe that Kingdom Hearts 3 is actually coming out? We can't either! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices