To love is to suffer Three RPGFan panelists are joined by RPG enthusiast YouTuber David Vinc to discuss the favorites and frustrations about the world of RPGs. Does our guest prefer the predictable comfort of Dragon Quest or the unstable beauty of Final Fantasy? Which panelist has played Lufia II do… Read More »
On this episode of Random Encounter, Jono invites two of the folks behind the recent indie game Lil’ Guardsman onto the show to chat about its development. Back in the early days of the pandemic, Toronto-based composer Scott Christian and his business partner Artiom Komarov made the remarkable decis… Read More »
Are you courageous enough to try Retro Encounter yet? Back in February, Persona 3 Reload released, much to the delight of many on staff, So, this week, two veterans of Persona 3 and one newbie get together to chat about Persona 3 Reload. How does this one compare to the rest of the series?… Read More »
Whether or not you need an introduction to Masashi Hamauzu’s music, we’ve got something for you. From some well-known to lesser-known Final Fantasy pieces to some classic Square Enix games, our panel dug in to ensure we covered a lot of ground in Hamauzu’s history as a composer and arranger. So join… Read More »
Elc the Kid Arc the Lad II is an improvement over the first in nearly every way, as a more dramatic, dynamic, and lengthy PS1 RPG only held back by some technical limitations, a lack of save points, and an excess of towers. Four Retro Encounter panelists played Arc the Lad II last month, and this ga… Read More »
On this episode of Random Encounter, Zach joins the party to chat about the recent spiritual successor to the Suikoden series, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, and the new DLC for Final Fantasy XVI, The Rising Tide. Hundred Heroes has been one of our most anticipated JRPGs since its Kickstarter ba… Read More »
Arc seeking Ark While it was a launch title for the PSOne in Japan, Arc the Lad was something of a swan song by the time it finally released in the West. It also stands as one of the final works of the now-defunct Working Designs localization company. Today our four panelists dig into this hidden cl… Read More »
Everything’s better with the right soundtrack backing it up, whether that’s studying, working, or household tasks — most notably for today’s discussion, cooking! Whether our panel on this episode was channeling energy for a flavorful Spanish chicken dish or some chill tunes to prepare cozy desserts,… Read More »
To be the sad man / Behind Mako eyes Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, one of the most anticipated RPGs of 2024, reimagines many of the most dramatic and emotional moments of Final Fantasy VII, form Cloud’s flashback to Barret’s hometown and beyond, in a segmented open world environment driven by a mix of… Read More »
On this episode, ex-Random Encounter host Greg Delmage returns to share his film expertise while chatting about the new Fallout TV show! Video game adaptations are hot right now, and Amazon has just dropped what might be the best one yet: Fallout! Based on the long-running RPG series, Fallout, the s… Read More »
Retro. Retro never changes. But boy, long-running RPG series sure can! Back when a small group of developers at Interplay Productions released Fallout in 1997, I’m sure they couldn’t imagine they were setting the foundations for one of the most iconic RPG series of all time. From its humble beginnin… Read More »
It’s hard to go a few months without a remaster of a beloved RPG gracing our physical or virtual shelves, but when some of those are the quality of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series or the recent Persona 3 Reload, we aren’t complaining. This age of remasters also means updated or rearranged mu… Read More »
Warriors! Come out and play~~~ Omega Force, a subsidiary of Koei Tecmo, has made a name for itself over the past 25 years with dozens of entries into its Musou series, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors in particular. Today, a Retro Encounter panel discusses Musou’s origins as historical sims, it… Read More »
Huh? Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Wes Iliff, Kyle Cantelon; Edited by Mike Salbato Links for this episode: YouTube: Might and Magic VI, All Voice Acting Part 1 YouTube: Might and Magic VI and VII: Creature Sounds PlayStation 2 Crystal Clock Tracklist 0:03:32 – Level Up – Dragon Quest0:03… Read More »
On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re looking at a game-of-the-year contender and the latest from one of the industry’s most visionary indie devs. First up, Izzy is here to chat about Dragon’s Dogma 2. The sequel to Capcom’s cult-classic Dragon’s Dogma, DD2 is the true realization of many of t… Read More »
I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon. Retro Encounter sees Final Fantasy IV through to its logical conclusion, from journeys to the center of the earth to heartbreaking family reunions, then, Alice, you’re going to the moon. Four Retro Encounter panelists talk the second half of Final Fan… Read More »
While RPGs have no shortage of high-energy moments requiring intense strategizing, quick reflexes, or simply a box of tissues for the more emotional moments, it’s important to have downtime between those to balance everything out. This episode is about “safe spaces” in RPGs, and our panelists did no… Read More »
I am not my Dark Knight’s keeper Final Fantasy IV is a 1991 RPG full of colorful characters and high drama. But how does it hold up after 33 years of perspective? Four Retro Encounter panelists who grew up (separately) playing Final Fantasy IV give the classic SNES RPG another look (together), discu… Read More »
On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re looking at two very different kinds of follow-ups to beloved games: a spiritual successor and a fan game. First up, we’re talking about a long-awaited revival of Ogre Battle-style SRPGs with Vanillaware’s Unicorn Overlord (the most bizarre na… Read More »
The real Infinite Wealth was the friends we made along the way. Ichiban Kasuga returns in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku 8 in Japanese), teaming up with former Like a Dragon protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in a wild turn-based open-world RPG set in both Japan and Hawaii. Four RPGFan st… Read More »
Previously on Rhythm Encounter, we have talked about some important first impressions, namely some of our favorite intro themes, and even title screen music. But what happens next is just as important: the opening hours of an RPG can really set the stage for what’s to come. When thinking about our f… Read More »
Can you SMELL what the Hawke is cooking? Dragon Age II had a mixed critical reception back in March of 2011, so we’re giving it a fresh perspective in March of 2024. Today’s Retro Encounter panel makes an exodus to Kirkwall to determine how they feel about DA2’s excellent characters… Read More »
On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re taking a look at a long-running RPG series that has only made sporadic, but noteworthy, appearances here in the West! Mystery Dungeon began as a Dragon Quest IV spinoff back in 1993, but since then, there have been dozens of games in the seri… Read More »
If I could turn back time / If I could find a way Four RPGFan staff played through Dragon Quest XI this month, and it left them full of feelings. But were those feelings satisfying or wanting? How did they find DQ11’s notorious third act? Spoiler alert: this is a wonderful video game, despite what o… Read More »
On this episode of Random Encounter, it’s finally time to talk about one of the most anticipated “Part 2s” in video game history: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth! Ever since part 1 of the FFVII remake trilogy, Final Fantasy VII Remake, was released in 2020, we’ve been desperate to know where the story is… Read More »
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