Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Podcast

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bloodgod and get on your way to being your best self.Finally, a throwback RPG inspired by classics like Chrono Trigger! But perhaps Sea of Stars is hiding something truly special? No spoilers this episode but prepare to have your interest piqued by this very special little homage to the JRPG golden age full of twists and turns. Kat, Nadia, and Eric are joined by special guest Brenden Groom of the Pass the Controller podcast to discuss this hidden gem!Also in this Episode:- The crew finds more opportunities to throw Golden Sun under the bus!- I want shorter RPGs with worse graphics and I'm NOT kidding- The Joy of Fishing- Eric's Chrono Trigger Report- Kat's Starfield ReportTimestamps:02:08 - Intros07:20 - Main Topic48:16 - Random Encounters51:36 - The Tavern1:27:36 - Nadia's Nostalgia NookMusic Used in this Episode:Gentle Wind - [Baten Kaitos]Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]Languishing Mambo - [Sakura Wars] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bloodgod and get on your way to being your best self.It's time to party with special guest Michael Higham as the crew talks about hotly anticipated sci-fi epic Starfield. What works, what doesn't, and do either of those things matter if you're having a nice time in Todd Howardland?Also in this Episode:-Get lost in a Sea of Stars-Maybe Ashoka is good!-Hey you, reading this. Play Ghost Trick.-How do you verbally express a backwards 'K'?Timestamps:1:03:30 - Random Encounters1:06:16 - The Tavern1:30:14 - Nadia's Nostalgia NookMusic Used in this Episode:Relaxing Place - [Eternal Sonata]Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]Pirate Island - [Boktai 2] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know Baldur's Gate is actually based off of a really obscure game called Dungeons and Dragons? And you play it in your head! And it makes you worship the devil! Here to discuss the dungeon mastery of Baldur's Gate 3 with Kat and Eric is special guest Mikel Reparaz of Vidjagame Apocalypse.Also in this Episode:-The Art of Save Scumming-Short King smooching-More deeply frustrating layoffs-Kat's EA Rant™-The end of The Summer of KorraTimestamps:41:40 - Random Encounters44:00 - The Tavern1:12:57 - Summer of KorraMusic Used in this Episode:Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]Gunmetal Action - [Wild Arms 3] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plan ahead for the fall and pick up a new scarf because it's Nadia's time to shine with an episode all about Mega Man's OTHER foray into the world of RPGs, Mega Man X: Command Mission. Timelines get twisted, fan-favourite characters show up and then are never heard from again, and poor X and friends get Randam Hajile'd!Also in this Episode:- Nadia and David discuss writing the official Maverick Hunter Field Guide- Everyone agrees Absolute Zero and Iron Maiden are great designs- Nadia reflects on her life choicesTimestamps:56:53 - Random Encounters1:01:20 - The Tavern1:11:23 - Nostalgia NookMusic Used in this Episode:Cheerful Thief Marino - [Mega Man X: Command Mission]Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]Irregular Battle 2 - [Mega Man X: Command Mission]A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]Trajectory of Battle - [Mega Man X: Command Mission] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You don't have to go home but you CAN stay here and listen to this pretty fly panel from the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo all about the landmark year for RPGs that was 1998! Pokemon, Baldur's Gate, Ocarina of Time, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Parasite Eve and more! You'll believe in life after love once you listen to the hosts of Axe of the Blood God and Retronauts (the Armageddon and Deep Impact of video game podcasts) tell you all about the important games released that year, the cultural shifts happening underneath it all, and why 1998 is unimpeachable.Music Used in this Episode:One Week - [Barenaked Ladies]Hard Knock Life - [Jay Z]This Kiss - [Faith Hill]Somnia Memorias - [Parasite Eve] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hot (like, heat dome hot) off the heels of the wildly successful charity livestream and Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest it’s time to talk Baldur’s Gate 3. Eric and special guest Kenneth Shepard are here to spill some preliminary beans. Plus, summer movie talk; two titans of merchandising join forces this summer with heartfelt stories touching on powerful themes to briefly take your mind off the monstrous greed of the people at the top of the industry food chain!Also in this Episode:-“We HAVE to stop talking TMNT on AotBG!”-Aquarium IS a great album-Serious trash talk-Nadia’s Fan Fest recap-Eric’s EVO recap-Kenneth’s Barbie recapTimestamps:15:26 - Main Quest (Baldur’s Gate 3)56:32 - Random Encounters57:38 - The Tavern1:24:48 - Summer of Korra1:35:23 - Nostalgia NookMusic Used in this Episode:Main Theme - [Baldur’s Gate]Do Your Best! - [Breath of Fire III]The Legend of Korra Main Theme - [The Legend of Korra]A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]Dolphin - [PlayOnline Viewer] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode we're joined by Larian Studios director Swen Vincke... very briefly. Unfortunately technical difficulties kept us from going in deep on this particular interview, but we'll have him back soon! In the meantime, special guest Len Hafer has plenty to say about her experience with Baldur's Gate 3 and more. Final Fantasy XIV has a new expansion! Kat and Eric talk about their Armored Core VI experiences Legend of Korra sure has some politics, huh? This episode was part of our special livestream benefiting Trans Lifeline in which we were able to raise more than $12,000! Thank you all so much for your generous support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Axe of the Blood God. Kat is not here for this week's episode because she headed out for San Diego Comic Con, a known slaughtering ground where Harry Potter cosplayers will take out your eye with their wands before you can even say "something something Patronus." No fear: Our good friends Ash Parrish and Kenneth Shepard are here to fill in the gap. We're talking all about character creators, from the basic three-choice templates to Baldur Gate 3's dong-and-dumplings slider. (which Kenneth has already lovingly handled.) Do you prefer building a character from the ground-up, or stepping into the boots of an established adventurer? Chime in!Also in this Episode: "Look, Smithers! Globro is coming!" Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes still rules Pikachu knows when you fart in your sleep The Empire Strikes Back this week on The Legend of Korra Being born is for suckers Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro and Main Quest (Character Creators) 47:20 - Random Encounters 49:13 - The Tavern (Thoughts about Viewfinder, Clash of Heroes, and the horror of Pokemon Sleep) 1:15:12 - Summer of Korra 1:30:35 - Nostalgia Nook/Outro Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best! [Breath of Fire III] Antique Cowboy [Ragnarok Online] The Legend of Korra Main Theme [The Legend of Korra] A Curious Tale [Secret of Mana] A Long Fall [Final Fantasy XIV/The Primals] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's summertime, playing Zelda in your car, heading to a LAN party, and the night air is filled with wildfire smoke. Welcome to a laid back episode of Axe of the Blood God, where we just chill out and talk about associations between summer and RPGs. That means everything from the RPGs we played during our summer break to the best tropical environments in RPGs past and present. Just remember: The secret to better RPGs is more giant centipede monsters.Also in this Episode: The Microsoft/Sony/FTC drama is going, going, it's gone, it's finished, it's over. Does this mean we all get CoD on Switch, or am I misunderstanding this whole thing? FromSoftware is a masterful visual storyteller, but Nintendo's not far behind with Tears of the Kingdom's Depths Summer of Korra: Someone ate a bear The Summer of Pokemon and Puke Skeletor Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro and Main Quest (RPGs of Summer) 42:19 - Random Encounters 56:28 - The Tavern (Thoughts about Final Fantasy XVI, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and ExoPrimal) 1:19:20 -The Summer of Korra 1:29:50 - Nostalgia Nook / Outro Music Used in this Episode: Boys of Summer [The Ataris] Do Your Best! [Breath of Fire III] Antique Cowboy [Ragnarok Online] The Legend of Korra Main Theme [The Legend of Korra] A Curious Tale [Secret of Mana] Scars of Time [Chrono Cross] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got some fellow old people listening to this show (may your tubes of Voltaren be ever on sale), and I think we can all take a little comfort in the fact many of Falcom's RPGs, including the epic The Legend of Heroes saga, are about as old as us. Heroes has had a lot of time to pump out some good storytelling, including the still-celebrated Trails sub-series. But even mighty things come to an end eventually. In this episode we invite Trails fanatic Cam Hawkins to talk about the game that's bringing Sky, Steel, and Crossbell onto one stage and putting a cap on everything: Trails into Reverie. Is it a worthy conclusion to Trails, or does it try a little too hard to cram everyone in and wrap everything up? We talk about Reverie and other Trails matters, including "Where do I even start with this dang series?" (Protip: Really hard to go wrong with Trails in the Sky.)Also in This Episode: The Steam Summer Sale is on! Never forget the Battle of Walletsdeep. Baldur's Gate 3 lets you make love to bears, but will it let you throw a knife into heaven and kill with a stare? The Pokemon Company has a "dead dove, do not eat" moment when they open their Pokemon forums and are forced to lock them within hours. In Summer of Korra, we learn that Toph rocks the unwed wine mother role, so to speak. Pac-Man deserves that deep puncture wound I administered. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro/Trails Into Reverie 48:24 - Random Encounters 51:10 - The Tavern (Discounted RPGs at the Steam Summer Sale, Logitech G-Cloud Review, The Pokemon Company tries to train feral children how to use message boards with mixed, mostly pornographic, success) 1:11:08 - Summer of Korra 1:21:21 - Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best! [Breath of Fire III] The Pub [Final Fantasy Tictacs] The Legend of Korra Main Theme [The Legend of Korra] A Curious Tale [Secret of Mana] Silver Will, Gold Wings [Trails in the Sky] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices