225: Arco (with Luis Aguasvivas)

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog Join Dave and special guest Luis Aguasvivas as they discuss Arco (Franek, Max Cahill, Bibiki and Fayer, 2024). Arco blends tactical turn-based combat with a revenge story spanning multiple protagonists. It's an ambitious game that coalesces in some magical ways, but falls short in some others, making it ripe for discussion. As always, no spoilers in the episode for a while- enjoy! Guest info: Luis Aguasvivas (he/they) Check out Luis's writing https://aguaspoints.com/ Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/aguaspoints.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:20 Introductions 3:56 Our Histories with Arco 6:52 Top-Level Thoughts 13:13 Story Setup 17:52 Multiple Protagonist Structure 22:58 Dramatic Irony and Post-Colonial Narratives 28:48 Visual Design 35:33 Soundtrack 40:13 Combat 49:38 Fantasy Elements and Morality System 1:03:55 Who Should Play? 1:07:55 Luis' Writing 1:11:58 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous 1:14:20 Spoilers- Different Story Paths 1:26:01 Spoilers- Act Five 1:39:41 Spoilers- Tizo's Story 1:51:22 Spoilers- Violence as Interaction in Games 2:01:54 Spoilers- Fighting the Ocean in Historical Fiction Music used in the episode is credited to Bibiki. Tracks used: Arena y Alquitrán, Forgotten Memories, Blood Spit, Whispers of Magic, Where Iyos Live, Sempiternal Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures