Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Podcast

Greetings, disciples of the Blood God. Kat is not with us this week; she's going to try her hand at being a pirate on the open seas. There's an excellent chance she'll be back next week, though. Despite what the Peter Pan song tells you, the pirate's life is not for everyone. Nadia and Eric manage to scrounge together a great show anyway, because it's Elden Ring week! No worries—there are no spoilers on the show, but we did get Isla Hinck from Easy Allies and Jesse Vitelli of PrimaGames to talk about their reviews for this highly anticipated (and critically acclaimed) open world game from FromSoftware. Also on this episode: No, seriously, Elden Ring's review scores are truly, truly, truly outrageous Nadia gives her impressions of Final Fantasy VI: Pixel Remaster Valve God Gabe Newell is confirmed Final Fantasy XIV trash The story of Ganon, the golden retriever that humped everything Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's down to a pair this week, as Kat and Eric gather to investigate the state of Cyberpunk 2077 with its brand-new next-gen patch and lament the loss of more eShop content. Make sure you get your Golden Sun downloaded while you still can, as two visions of the cyber-future both seem bleak. They also dive into the overlap of grand strategy and RPGs, thanks to Blood God backer Ruka!   In other happenings:  Eric learns to loathe the grind in Monark  Kat is figuring out her feelings on Horizon  Nadia isn't even here and the Nostalgia Nook still takes a dark turn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are people out there who hang onto news about Nintendo Directs the way a religious person might fervently cling to signs of Jesus' return. Humanity is still waiting on the second coming of the Lord, but Nintendo offered a nice stop-gap last week. The February Nintendo Direct was bursting with incredible RPG news—and some of it was simply bananas. A 2D HD remake of Live A Live? Absolutely nobody had that on their Bingo card. Well, it's doubtful anyone had "Kirby inhales objects bigger than your mom in Kirby and the Forgotten Land" either. To reiterate a point made earlier, it was a strange Direct. In addition to the Nintendo Direct RPG news, we talk about: Nadia is bad at Final Fantasy Tactics Waddle Dee broke the internet news machine wide open Lost Ark is already huge — can it keep up that momentum? More RPG nominations for the 25 Best RPGs of All Time Intergrade If we get to $8000 per month, Nadia and Eric's dads will fight each other $10,000, and we'll make it to the death Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat's gone, so Eric and Nadia assemble an Elite 4 to review Pokemon Legends: Arceus. IGN's Rebekah Valentine and Fanbyte's Kenneth Shepard join the show to chat about how the new direction has panned out, its highs and lows, and how it embraces Poke-mythology. Will this be remembered as a trailblazer or an obscure side game? Either way, we never want to see Cherubi again. Also in this episode: - A Realm Reborn struggle is real - We sing some Phantom of the Opera? - Eric craves curling - Nadia recounts crime - New Top 25 entries and the reveal of a new tactic-ful February special! Enjoy the show? Make sure to subscribe to our Patreon!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're in the throes of winter, but Pokemon discourse is hotter than ever. This week, Kat, Nadia, and Eric talk about the opening hours of Pokemon Legends Arceus, Game Freak's attempt to take the Pokemon franchise sort-of open world. Does it succeed? Does it fall flat on its face? We have things to say: We are chatty little Chatots. Also in this episode: - Bloodborne is still great. - It's time to vote for a new Blood God Pantheon game! Here's why Valkyria Chronicles deserves the vote. - Since voting for list stuff never goes out of style, we also have new picks for the Top 25 RPGs of All Time Integrade list! - Eric nearly drove a teacher to insanity with a metronome. - Nadia got hauled away by the Shakespeare Police. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going back to the '90s again here on Axe of the Blood God, but here's a twist: We're going back to '90s Japan. Yes, it's another PC Console Quest, and we've invited our good friend PC98 Audi back to the show for the occasion. We discuss the PC-98's legacy, and how it affected '90s RPG development. Why did the platform have so many visual novels? What's the deal with, ahem, all those hentai games? We have much wisdom contained here, so stay a while and listen. Also in this episode: Oh God, Activision Blizzard and Microsoft. Oh God. We have new picks for the Top 25 RPG Remake 2022 Intergrade. Nadia plays Bloodborne like a dimwit. Space Jam DVD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We may be in the dead of winter, but Axe of the Blood God is hotter than ever. So sayeth the show's fans, anyway. It's true! No word of a lie! Ahem. This week, Kat, Nadia, and Eric talk about a hodgepodge of lively topics, including: Some interesting new nominees for our new Best 25 RPGs of All Time list. Emphasis on "new" Final Fantasy XIV's producer tells the fanbase "Be good. For the love of God, please be good." RPGs – and games in general – are too long [INITIATING HUMOUR PROTOCOL: "That is what she said"] Square One, Mathman, and the trauma that accompanied them Weekly episodes are available to both free and premium listeners on Mondays. For lots more bonus content, check out our Patreon: https://patreon.com/bloodgodpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New year, new Axe of the Blood God! Our new Stars of Destiny tier has kicked off in earnest, and we had our first live taping of the podcast, followed by a special post-show discussion. That's right, for 25 smackeroos you can listen to us flub our lines and then get into a fight about Super Mario World vs Super Mario Bros. 3. Very rated R stuff. See, the R stands for "rad." This week's main show covers a bunch of stuff, including: - The great indie RPG 2022 preview! Some gorgeous retro-style fare is coming up, like Sea of Stars, SacriFire, and Eiyuden Chronicles Rising. - We're revisiting the Top 25 RPGs of All Time, and we want you to help us update our selection! - Square Enix is having NFT FOMO, and the world must suffer for it. - Eric is now a Final Fantasy XIV sicko. Ha ha…yes! Yessss! If you weren't able to pop to the post-show, we've got that for you, too. We talk about Sony's drive to produce only "prestige" games, and how that new philosophy will affect RPGs. Then everything breaks down into Super Mario chaos. Mama mia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're already three days into 2022! No refunds on the year, suckers. Don't worry, the Axe of the Blood God will be around to pick you up whenever you need it…and going by recent trends, everyone is going to be due for a pick-me-up somewhere between the first three and six months. Let's start the year strong with some spicy 2022 RPG predictions! Will we see anything to do with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 this year? Will we enjoy Elden Ring? Will Final Fantasy 16 make it out before year's end? (Funny you should ask…) Also in this episode: Nadia remembers quality Nintendo literature Yuji Naka is still plying his trade in the corner, like an exiled shoe-elf who hopes to return to his cobbler kingdom someday We read your RPG 202 feelings Here's to '22! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've had an amazing 2021, and we're hoping 2022 will be even better! Nadia, Eric, and Kat get together to share their hopes and dreams for the new year along with the following: - Info on a brand new tier! - Free and premium feeds being synced! - Upcoming specials! - And much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric say farewell to 2021 by looking back on the year's greatest RPG triumphs (and a few, er, not-triumphs). 2021 was a bit slim on major triple-A RPG releases, but there's been a great showing from smaller games, including SMT V, Tales of Arise, Monster Hunter Stories 2, Loop Hero, Ys 9, and so very much more. Oh, and there was also a new expansion for a certain online RPG that shall remain nameless. We can no longer say its name; it's become far too powerful. Please forget about the critically acclaimed MMORPG with the free trial that lets you play through all of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning expansion Heavensward. Also in this episode: Nintendo sure did drop an Indie Direct. Sea of Stars looks dope. OK, so you can't play Final Fantasy XIV, but you can play Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PC! Oh wait, it's kind of a mess. Kat is now besties with Henry Cavill. We will all miss her as she departs on her glorious new life as a Hollywood groupie. Wait, didn't Elton John write a song about this…? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To celebrate the end of 2021, we're making a Pantheon of the Blood God available to all of our listeners as a special thank you for all of your support! In this edition of Pantheon of the Blood God, Kat and Nadia are joined by special guest Alex Donaldson to dive deep into Final Fantasy VIII! Once considered the series' black sheep, Final Fantasy VIII is now held in higher regard, but is it worthy of the Pantheon? Kat and Nadia have very different opinions on that front. Regardless, there's much to unpack about Square Enix's flawed masterpiece, and that's exactly what Kat, Nadia, and Alex do as they discuss its rapid development, its curious Junction System, its marvelous soundtrack, and wonderful elements like Triple Triad. Truly, it's far from perfect, but it's one of the most memorable RPGs ever made. Pantheon of the Blood God is a special monthly series of podcasts in which we take a deep dive into an RPG selected by the AOTBG community. Want to hear more? Check us out on Patreon: https://patreon.com/bloodgodpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Live thy life to the fullest, but knowest thou always that the end walks ever closer." Is that an OK Urianger impersonation? Bah, whatever. Point is, Nadia, Mike, and Victor review Final Fantasy 14's Endwalker expansion in this episode. It's epic, it's guaranteed to move you to tears...and like everything else in this flawed universe, it can use some improvements. Tune your linkshell in! Spoiler Level: Red. Major spoilers for most of Endwalker's story. I suppose that goes without saying. However, there's very little discussion about the end area and end boss, since Victor's on the last leg of his journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat's away this week on Axe of the Blood God, so Nadia takes the reigns, and chaos reins. Wait. Strike that. Reverse it. Thank you. Eric is on-hand to help co-host, of course, and a very special guest enters the fray: Blood God Discord mod Valexia! The trio have a hearty discussion about LGBTQ+ representation in games, old and new, eastern and western. There's a long way to go, but there's been a lot of progress that's worth celebrating, too. Also in this episode: The Game Awards hate JRPGs :( Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is coming to PS4, Switch, and PC! Everyone's mad at Nadia because she liked that Imagine Dragons/Bastion song at the Game Awards Analogue Pocket orders are opening up. May the odds be ever in your favour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turn on Nickelodeon and feed your Tamagotchi, because it's time for the '90s PC RPG Quest here at Axe of the Blood God. John Walker of Buried Treasure joins Kat, Nadia, and Eric as they talk about this very tumultuous time in PC RPG history. The genre underwent enormous growth, but not before it suffered near-irrelevance amid the rise of DOOM and other first-person shooters.  There's a lot to cover, so feel free to fiddle with your Slap Bracelet while the crew talks. Just don't cut open the bracelet's fabric, take out the sharp piece of metal inside, and start hitting people with it. That's how Slap Bracelets get banned from schools. Not speaking from experience or anything, mind you. Enjoy the PC RPG Quest? Make sure to check out our episodes covering the 1970s and 1980s!  Also in this episode: Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker queue times will kill us all Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's duplication glitches are making us nostalgic NIntendo Online's Expansion Pack kind of sucks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week was the Giving of Thanks, and Eric returned to his ancestral home to prepare the necessary sacrifices. That means Kat and Nadia are alone for this episode, just like the good ol' days of... er, maybe a month ago? Point is, this is a very chill episode.  Some of the big topics: - Is a Chrono Cross remake under development? - Who is an unsung RPG composer? - How excited are we for a Mass Effect TV show? Also in this episode: Neo The World Ends With You didn't do so hot because Square Enix kind of forgot to market it, and plans for the future of Blood God! A new tier approaches! Command? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we last met our Warriors of Light, they were confident they'd be Thal's balls-deep in Endwalker by this point. Fate had other plans in mind, as Endwalker won't be accessible until December 3. Hey, Final Fantasy XIV is a Square Enix RPG. It's never a surprise when the heroes' plans go awry in an RPG. Besides, the delay freed up some time to let us talk about a topic that kept eluding us: Endwalker story predictions! Hope you're sitting down, because Victor brought notes. What kind of dropout brings notes?! Spoiler Level: Red. Major spoilers for Shadowbringers and Endwalker. We bust out all biggest story twists and smallest plot tweaks for pretty much the entire episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What, you wanna listen to Axe of the Blood God's very special Shin Megami Tensei 5 episode, guest starring Game Informer's Kim Wallace? Hmmm... gimme one life stone. I'll also take 300 macca and a shitload of your health! Just kidding -- your friendship is more than enough to get access to our SMT V review. How does it play? What are its strengths? Its weakness? Is it a good entry point for SMT V virgins? Kat, Nadia, Eric, and Kim will fill you in on all the haunting deets. Also in this episode: We're trying out a brand-new format that (hopefully) makes the show easier to listen to and enjoy! Come for Kat's Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl critique, stay for Nadia's disjointed rant about Simon Belmont from Captain N. Something about a bomber jacket? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 3 of our complete Cowboy Bebop series ranking, we tackle the Top 10 alongside What a Cartoon's Henry Gilbert! In so doing we tackle some of the following topics: - What's the deal with Julia? - Who had the best arc? - Why does Toys in the Attic rule so much? - What happens when Final Fantasy and John Woo have a delightful anime baby? (It's Ballad of Fallen Angels). This episode is available immediately to our Patrons, and will be available through the free feed next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss how Atlus would really love it if the west got the hang of making demonic pacts. We know Shin Megami Tensei V is out, and we know it's a great game -- but why hasn't the series made much headway into the western market compared to [looks around nervously, bend over and whispers] Persona? Can anything be done to make SMT more appealing to this market? Also in this episode: Early hands-on impressions of Elden Ring are great, FFXIV: Endwalker is delayed, and Todd Howard laughs himself to sleep on a pile of money flanked by two beautiful ladies because people can't stop buying Skyrim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 2 of our complete Cowboy Bebop series ranking, we tackle episodes 16 through 10! In so doing, we hit some of the following topics: - Our personal favorite episodes - How Cowboy Bebop pays tributes to movies from the 60s and 70s - The wildness of Mushroom Samba - Why Gateway Shuffle is one of our sneaky favorites This episode is available immediately to our Patrons, and will be available through the free feed next week. Stay tuned for Part 3 as we jump into the Top 10 next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well I'll tell you what, that daggum Kat recently got herself in a whole heap of Twitter trouble when she sassed Legend of Dragoon. On this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God, Kat apologizes for her sharp words -- but she also struggles to understand why half the internet is still nostalgic for this underachieving Sony RPG. To that end, Kat, Eric, and Nadia invited YouTuber (and Legend of Dragoon fan) SuperDerekRPG to the show. They have a grand ol' time talking about this (misunderstood?) game, and about retro RPGs in general. Also in this episode: Shin Megami Tensei V is very good, and open wide because here comes a deluge of Elden Ring information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cowboy Bebop is one of the greatest anime ever made, and with a live-action series headed to Netflix, now is the perfect time to revisit this animated classic! We're joined by What a Cartoon and Talking Simpsons Host Henry Gilbert to rank episodes 24 - 17, where we hit some of the following topics: - How did we get into Cowboy Bebop? - Is Sympathy for the Devil underrated? - How great is VT's cat? - And how do we feel about Gren in the year 2021? This episode is Part 1 of our big ranking of Cowboy Bebop, and it's available to both our Patrons and free listeners right now! Part 2 will be available next week , but paid subscribers can access it immediately! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric board the Magic School Bus and travel back to the very beginnings of JRPG development. PC98 Audi from Digital Foundry makes a guest appearance to delve deep into the machine that arguably started it all: The humble PC-88. Audi also has tons of history to share about the MSX, and other high-tech '80s stuff that was vital to the early evolution of JRPGs. Frankly, he's the proverbial Miss Frizzle on this trip. Without him, Kat, Nadia, and Eric would probably fall out of the bus and get eaten by a microprocessor. Also in this episode: Kat's in Super Robot War heaven, we have a trailer for Netflix's adaptation of The Witcher 2, and Square Enix is gonna make you wet with a new Star Ocean game. ["Hey Hey 16k" is by MJ Hibbett and the Validators. Enjoy your earworm] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Axe of the Blood God, Nadia, Kat, and Eric battle ogres with the help of a very special guest, Waah! Yes, our generous $100 Patron finally gets to shine on-stage, and he's picked a very cool topic: Square Enix's half-forgotten Ogre Battle series. This still-beloved string of strategy games was the precursor to Final Fantasy Tactics, and it's a darn shame it doesn't garner the acknowledgement it deserves. We'll fix that, though. Oh, we will definitely fix that. Also in this episode: Stardew Valley's creator is taking us to the Land of Chocolate, CD Projekt Red has some more delays for us, and the Mass Effect 3 ending controversy has reared its ugly, exhausting head once again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smoke 'em if you got 'em because it's time for a brand-new episode of Sharlayan Dropouts--Axe of the Blood God's cool and fashionable Final Fantasy XIV podcast. This week, Nadia and Mike talk about what it was like to go hands-on with a preview build of the upcoming Endwalker expansion. (Victor, meanwhile, drools in equal parts anticipation and jealousy.) Look forward to a thorough breakdown of some of the new maps, including the Old Sharlayan hub town. Rest assured the rumours about Nadia dealing fogweed in the fifth floor washroom are greatly exaggerated. [Cough.] Also in this episode:  Hironobu Sakaguchi, the father of Final Fantasy, is in deep with Final Fantasy XIV. Very deep. We got 'im, fellahs. Plus, the Moogle Treasure Festival is on again, so prepare for Praetorium memes.  Spoiler Warning Level: Yellow. The content is pretty evenly parsed out in this episode. The first half up to 27:48 is news and discussion about what we've been doing in-game. There are very mild spoilers about A Realm Reborn's final dungeon, and we talk a bit about the games' trailers. From 27:48 on, the episode is almost exclusively spoilers about Endwalker's mechanics, the preview dungeon we played, etc.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There be dragons and dragon slayers in this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God. Faithful Patron Brian Cowan (thank you!) requested that Nadia, Kat, and Eric wade neck-deep into the fascinating historical muck that is Falcom's Dragon Slayer series. They talk about its origins, the people behind its development, and the reasons why this long-running series is one of the most important contributors to the RPG genre. Also in this episode: Nadia shares some FFXIV: Endwalker impressions, Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 was saved from the brink of oblivion, and there are no cross-saves in the PC port of Monster Hunter Rise because Capcom loves suffering. Oh, and Kat and Eric talk about Evangelion Thrice Upon a Time while Nadia plays Pokemon Go. The discussion, which is spoilerish, runs from 49:35 to 58:23. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Axe of the Blood God gets sPooOoOoky this week as Kat, Nadia, and Eric talk about "creepypasta" RPGs. Creepypasta is a weird term, but you're probably familiar with what it entails: Stories about haunted games that some poor hapless schmuck picked up at a flea market or whatever. Pokemon Lost Silver, BEN DROWNED, that one NES Godzilla cartridge that was filled with weird sprites and music...the list goes on. The trio also discusses RPG story moments that freaked them out. This episode is rated VS for Very Scary. Other topics this week: Thoughts on the shakeup at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Sora alighting in Smash like some kind of anime Jesus wearing oversized kicks, and the passing of Dragon Quest composer Koichi Sugiyama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who amongst us is truly righteous? It's probably not a great idea to look at Axe of the Blood God for paragons of virtue. That's why Nadia, Kat, and Eric invited Jason Wilson back this week to review Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. What's good? What's bad? Should you play? What are some good starting tips? Will you make friends with a horse that runs across roofs? You can if you believe you can. Also in this episode: Nadia keeps stanning Actraiser Renaissance, Amazon's New World MMORPG is a hit, and Jack from Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin said a bad word. We're telling mom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The '80s are alive and well in our souls -- and on Axe of the Blood God, too. This week, Nadia and Kat are joined by their good pal Jason Wilson as they continue the PC RPG Quest. It all started in the '70s, but PC RPGs got a major boost thanks to the rapid growth of the home computer market. It's a very important chapter of RPG history. After all, without Ultima, Wizardry, or SSI's Gold Box games, there'd be no Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy. What a sick, sad world that would be. Also in this episode: A new Nintendo Direct brings a deluge of RPG news, and Super Mario now shares his soul with Chris Pratt. Mama Mia! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a new month, which means the Sharlayan Dropouts have huddled themselves in the smoke hole again. (They just keyed Fourchenault's Chocobo chariot; best they lay low for a while.) Nadia, Victor, and Mike talk about the very lengthy Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter, and what it all means for the upcoming Endwalker expansion. That gaping hole in the moon...it's not going to get any bigger, right? Right. Also in this episode: Dragoons are pole dancing again, the Twins are overdue for their Elezen growth spurt, and Nadia learns you can't just breed brother and sister Chocobos in twisted eugenics experiments like you can in FFVII.    Spoiler Level: Yellow. The front end of the episode is largely spoiler-free, but we loosen up in the back half. Here are some handy-dandy time stamps: Up to 16:36 - News about the FFXV event, and discussion what we've been doing in-game. Some talk about raids, etc, but no major discussion about story events connected to them. Up to to 43:40 - Talk about the Live Letter and changes to FFXIV's classes. Some very minor spoilers that involve how each class has evolved since ARR. From 43:40 onward - Free discussion about Endwalker and the story beats leading up to it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Axe of the Blood God, Nadia and Kat get a little spoony and talk about one of the oldest and most controversial RPG classes: The Bard. Generous $50 Patron Drew Waranis requested we talk about these golden-throated music makers, and the Blood God is here to please. This episode dissects the history of the Bard, talks about the most famous bards in RPGs, and asks that one vital question: Do we need bards. Are they, like, cool, man? Also in this episode: Holy crap, Eastbound! Holy crap, Deltarune chapter 2! Holy crap, Tales of Arise already sold a million copies! What an exciting week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of Axe of the Blood God, we continue our celebration of Namco Bandai Tales series by ranking all of its biggest games -- from the lowly Tales of the Tempest to the much-loved Tales of Symphonia!   In Part 2, we jump into the classics -- the entries that pushed the series forward and retain a special place in our hearts. Joining us once again are two huge Tails fans: Game Informer's Kim Wallace and friend of the pod Victor Hunter! It's Axe of the Blood God's biggest Tales celebration to date, so join us as we conclude the definitive ranking!   And as always, thank you to our Patrons at the $5 level and above, who get to access this entry a week early and ad free! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tales of Arise has finally arrived, and it's bigger than ten Super Bowls. This week, Kat and Nadia are joined by USgamer alumni (and Normandy FM podcast host) Eric Van Allen as they dive deep into the latest entry in this beloved but oft-troubled RPG series. Is this the Tale that will save the world, and convert all the non-believers? Maybe. Just maybe. Anyway, it has a cute owl, so it's automatically GOTY. Also in this episode: Stardew Valley is finally finished (maybe), a Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake is in the works, and Yoko Taro is making a card-based game that will probably kill us all in our sleep, then instruct us to reflect on our words and deeds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of Axe of the Blood God, we continue our celebration of Namco Bandai Tales series by ranking all of its biggest games -- from the lowly Tales of the Tempest to the much-loved Tales of Symphonia! In Part 1, we examine some of the hard luck entries in the series; the Tales games that didn't have much of a budget, featured strange systems, or are just plain forgettable (meaningful glance at Tales of Hearts). Joining us are two huge Tails fans: Game Informer's Kim Wallace and friend of the pod Victor Hunter! They walk us through some of the more esoteric bits of Tales history, explaining why Tales of the Tempest maybe shouldn't be dismissed so quickly, swapping stories about exploring the Tales store, and making errant comparisons to James Bond films. It's Axe of the Blood God's biggest Tales celebration to date, so join us as we embark on the definitive ranking! And as always, thank you to our Patrons at the $5 level and above, who can now access Part 2 right away on their feed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer's going fast, nights are growing colder. It's nearly fall --and with fall comes the holiday games rush. This week, Kat and Nadia discuss some of the RPGs we can expect to see stuffed in the depths of Santa's sack. We have Tales of Arise and Eastward for a start, and as the season goes on, we can expect Super Robot Wars 30, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, Shin Megami Tensei V, and a heck of a lot more. It's going to be a bountiful season full of fun, surprises, and demons that can't wait to flay you with chains. Also in this episode: MMO maker Netease might be in talks to poach Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, and Bravely Default II is bravely making its way to PC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat is absent and it takes Nadia a grand total of ten minutes to wreck the joint. With no Kat to enforce the rules, Nadia is free to jabber about Final Fantasy IV, which she does for two hours alongside Ash Paulsen from Good Vibes Gaming. "What's left to say about Final Fantasy IV?" you might ask. First of all: Shame on you. Second, Final Fantasy IV's 30th anniversary is behind us and the Pixel Remaster is just ahead of us. There's never a bad time to talk about one of the most important RPGs ever made. But to make things extra interesting, Ash and I rank Final Fantasy IV's cast. Who's most deserving of your love? And who deserves to be chucked out of the Enterprise at 3000 feet? Tune in to find out. Also in this episode: Moon is coming to Steam, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster I through III received patches (no font fixes, lol), and Monsters Rule! Monster Rancher!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've been there, and now we're back again: The Summer of the Rings draws to its close with a mini Pantheon of the Blood God episode. Kat and Nadia go in-depth with EA's The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age for the PS2. Does it deserve to go into the Pantheon? Heck no -- we'll just spoil that for you up front -- but it's still worth talking about. From its bizarre final boss to an underspoken origin story that indirectly involves Hironobu Sakaguchi, the very existence of the Third Age was something of a marvel. Also in this episode: Nadia plays with witches who play with guns, Kat makes out with boyfriends who are also swords, and Pokemon fans are big mad for a change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's finally time to start the PC RPG Quest, because without knowledge of our past, there can be no future. This week, Kat and Nadia look back at the primal roots of RPGs, especially games written and played on the giant university mainframes of the '70s. They're joined by author David L. Craddock, who knows a thing or two about ancient computer RPGs. Which RPG first used graphics? Which RPG had the first instance of a boss fight? We guarantee you'll come away from this episode feeling educated and entertained. Also in this episode: Nadia and Kat compare Tales of Arise impressions, and an Indie Direct brought us a lot of great RPG news. Buckle up Homestuck, because Nintendo's not done: A big Pokemon Direct is coming very soon, too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sprouts! Sprouts everywhere! There's been a massive influx of new players to Final Fantasy XIV, thanks in part to an exodus from World of Warcraft. FFXIV is generally known for its friendly community--not that you won't find players who call you the worst dragoon in the world [COUGH]--and there is some rumbling about how the mass migration might affect FFXIV's chemistry. Is there any real cause for worry, though? Nadia, Mike, and Victor talk about the changes they've observed personally, and Mike has some insight about what's involved in switching from WoW's mechanics to FFXIV's. Also in this episode: Victor RP's at a goth party, and Nadia is lost in FFXIV's endless crafting hole. Help. SPOILER WARNING LEVEL: YELLOW. In the second half of the podcast, the crew goes over some minor, generalized story reveals for the opening moments of Shadowbringers. There's also a reference to an early subquest involving a rookie party of adventures...but if you don't know anything about Edda Pureheart, it's high time you learned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There be dragons on today's very special episode of Axe of the Blood God. Kat and Nadia talk about the best dragons in RPGs -- and by "best," they kind of mean "worst" because everyone knows dragons are at their best when they're burninating the countryside. Okay, cuddly and friendly dragons are valid, too. Maybe all dragons are valid at the end of the day. In any case, Nadia is incapable of shutting up for most of this episode, so enjoy. Also up for discussion: Activision Blizzard is working to improve (albeit with a minimum of effort), Mass Effect Legendary Edition sold like gangbusters to Bioware's relief, and Nadia got a sick-ass tattoo that's currently peeling and kind of gross to look at. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world is coming to an end again, and you are coming to an end with it. We all are. This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat and Nadia talk about Neo The World EndS With You alongside Imran Khan of Fanbyte and Rebekah Valentine of IGN. Expect compliments, criticisms, and lots of jabbing at game director Tetsuya Nomura. It's all in good fun Nomura, we love you. If you've not yet played Neo The World Ends With You, fear not--our discussion is spoiler-free! Also in this episode: Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is great, it's pretty easy to beat up 7-year-olds in Pokemon Unite, and somehow the higher-ups at Activision Blizzard keep finding new ways to crawl deeper into their cesspit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer's at its hottest and we're right in between big RPG releases. That can only mean one thing for the Axe of the Blood God: It's Letter Tiiiime, it's Letter Tiiiiime! This week, Nadia and Kat chip through a very backed-up mailbag (sorry!) and answer some vital questions like: "What's your favorite game that's not an RPG?" "What's your favorite RPG mini-game?" "What's the worst RPG you've ever had to plug through?" And most importantly: "What's your favorite dinosaur?" The answers to these questions and lots more are in our magic mailbag episode! You don't want to miss it. Also in this episode: Final Fantasy XIV is being crushed by love, Kat's into Pokemon Unite (FREE HER), and lots of dark, dank, cursed industry discourse thanks to Activision Blizzard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do RPGs owe to J.R.R. Tolkien's works? Everything... or something dang near close to it. This week, author David Craddock joins Kat and Nadia to talk about The Lord of the Rings' influence on RPGs old and new, eastern and western. Pull up a stool, fill your tankard with the Green Dragon's finest dark ale, and for God's sake, don't fiddle with the fireworks Gandalf so temptingly left unguarded in his wagon. Also in this episode: The Steam Deck will mean great things for RPGs (aaaaand they're gone), Kat has a new Super Robot Wars lesson, and Tidus' head just friggin' explodes. RIP in pieces, Blitzball boy. This is what it sounds like when doves cry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our latest project at Axe of the Blood God: Sharlayan Dropouts! In this new monthly podcast, Nadia Oxford and a rotating selection of guests will talk about all things Final Fantasy XIV — a perfect companion for the upcoming Endwalker expansion! In our first episode, the land of Eorzea fell into fiery ruin when the enraged Primal Bahamut "hatched" from the moon of Dalamud and tore the realm asunder. Then it got better. There's still much work to be done, but Nadia, Mike Williams, and Victor Hunter are content to let Sharlayan's eggheads do the heavy lifting. They're fine with slumming around campus, smoking, and scratching uselessly for the deeper meaning of existence—like all accomplished dropouts. The newly-formed light party talks about the reasons they got into Final Fantasy XIV, and reminisce over the first races they chose. They also discuss their first Job choices, and wonder why the game doesn't have more hybrid races running around. Well, Nadia wonders, mostly. She wants her Viera/Miqo'te cub, and she wants it right now. [EPISODE 1 SPOILER ALERT LEVEL: GREEN. Low risk of spoilers. This episode talks about the game and its story in a generalized way. There is some discussion about NPCs that show up in Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers, but there isn't much in-depth discussion about their roles. That said, the nature of spoilers is very subjective, so always listen at your own risk.] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My pet monster! Pet monster, I love you! This week's episode is all about Monster Hunter Stories 2, and how we love Nargacuga so very, very much. Kat and Nadia are joined by a special guest: IGN's Casey DeFreitas. Together, they gear up and evaluate everything that's good about this unusual RPG from Capcom (a Rathalos gets hugged) and everything that's not-so-good (frame rates that chug like slow freight trains). Also in this episode: Blizzard's latest World of Warcraft storyline deflates like a balloon, farting sound and all. The second season of Netflix's The Witcher is looking good, Baldur's Gate 3 lets you futz with Lady Luck, and the Nintendo Switch Pro is real! Ha ha, sike. You so thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2021 is half over. Scream and protest all you want; nothing will change. Instead of mulling over the inexorable march of time, why not think about RPGs instead? This week, Nadia and Kat do a mid-year checkup on the genre and talk about their favorites so far. Ys 9! Bravely Default 2! Monster Hunter Rise! And the rest! Also in this episode: Nadia previews Monster Hunter Stories 2, Kat turns around on Neo The World Ends With You, Elder Scrolls 6 is a long, long way off, and Bidoof, Bidoof, Bidoof. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, the RPG Console Quest is behind us. That can only mean one thing: It's time to make a list. This week, Kat and Nadia rank the consoles according to their contributions to the RPG genre. Which system(s) made it into the "S" tier? Which are condemned to the "LOL" tier? How many consoles did Nadia forget to add to the list until the very last second? (Hint: So many.) Also in this episode: Final Fantasy 9 is getting an animated series, D&D Dark Alliance is uhhhh, and Square Enix hit the Neo The World Ends With You demo button a smidge too early. What does a "World Ends With You" demo button look like, anyway…? We imagine it's a big, shiny, candy-red button. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is the very end, my friends — the very end of Axe of the Blood God's RPG Console Quest! This week, Kat and Nadia talk about the healthy RPG library that's up for grabs on the Nintendo Switch. From unique exclusives like Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Monster Hunter Rise, and Bravely Default 2 to amazing ports like Dragon Quest XI S and the revised Final Fantasy line, the Switch is home to some of the best variety the genre has to offer. Even better, the Switch isn't done by a long shot. It's still going, and whispers of the Switch Pro means Nintendo will surely be around to serve up RPG greatness for a while to come. Also in this episode: E3 is finished (maybe in more ways than one; it depends on your outlook), Kat went hands-on with Tales of Arise, and Breath of the Wild 2's weapon degradation discourse will kill us all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oh no, it's E3 again. Kat and Nadia talk about the press conferences they've already seen (Square Enix, Microsoft) and speculate on the ones that haven't yet happened (Nintendo). Come for the discussion about Eiyuden Chronicles, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, and Eldin Ring. Stay for the Chaos, Chaos, Chaos. Also in this episode: Griftlands, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, and did we mention some dude really has a hate-boner for another dude named Chaos? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices