Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Podcast

This week on Axe of the Blood God: It's letter tiiime, it's letter tiiime! Kat, Nadia, and Eric answer questions asked by YOU, our grand Blood God listeners! What is the gang's favorite class in Xenoblade Chronicles 3? What new regional forms should appear in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? Is it really that bad for an RPG to clock in at 100+ hours? All these burning questions and tons more get answers this week. Also in this episode: Is it finally okay to love Xenoblade's Nopons, or is said love still forbidden and unholy? Nadia chilled at the Final Fantasy: A New World concert. Delays, delays, delays. Lots of games are being delayed. But that's not so bad, really. In the Post Show This week on Axe of the Blood God's always-tasteful post show, Kat reveals she's going to Japan next month, and solicits cool things to do while she's in Tokyo. Nadia recalls her time in Shinjuku, and encourages everyone to visit the Dragon Quest cafe and eat a meat dumpling shaped like a Slime. It's the only true path to world peace. The post show is available to our Stars of Destiny Patrons here: https://patreon.com/bloodgodpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's another busy week on Axe of the Blood God. Two hefty topics are packed into one convenient episode: New Pokemon Scarlet and Violet information, on top of the beginning of the Nihon Falcom Developer Quest. Listen in as Kat, Nadia, and Eric talk up the Pokemon of the Paldea region, and try to figure out the whole deal with Terastallized (i.e. rock candy) Pokemon. After that, the gang chats about the beginnings of Nihon Falcom, the studio responsible for a lot of excellent RPGs going way, way back, including the Ys series, the Trails games, and much more. Also in this episode: The entirety of planet earth is playing Xenoblade Chronicles 3 We have a new selection for the Pantheon Game Club! Hint: It's Falcom related Nadia was Scary Spice for a little while. Just long enough to flummox Toronto's bus system In the Post Show Kat is forced to bail(ey) early on this week's post-show, so Nadia and Eric have free run of da joint. This week's topic is food, food, food. Barbeque. Brisket. Hungarian goulash. Beets and horseradish. Would you eat gefilte fish? You should try it sometime. Gosh, even writing this stirs up the appetite. Available via Patron: https://patreon.com/bloodgodpod Axe of the Blood God is sponsored by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/bloodgod to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + Free Threat Protection + 1 additional month for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Axe of the Blood God, it's time to bask in the Monado's power! Special guest Autumn Wright talks to Kat, Nadia, and Eric about Xenoblade Chronicles 3. How does the third game in this sometimes-bumpy series hold up? How does it compare to the first two Xenoblade Chronicles games, and how do the three of them link up? Does it matter? Should it matter? There's gorgeous scenery, a banging soundtrack, and an intriguing battle system—that much is certain. What more can you ask for when living the Xeno lifestyle? Also in this episode: The Knights of the Old Republic remake is delayed—and then some Eric has officially Walked to the End Kat gets $100 million for her perfect Gundam RPG and spends about $10 of it. Is it illegal to sneak into someone's house to play their video game console? Asking for a friend. In the Post Show Autumn joins Kat, Nadia, and Eric for a sophisticated discussion about how fighting game mechanics spill over into other genres, namely RPGs. Also, Nadia's into Street Fighter lore because she has a broken mind. And why didn't Guile Sonic Boom his dog? It would've been pretty funny. Available exclusive to our Stars of Destiny via the Patreon! Axe of the Blood God is sponsored by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/bloodgod to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + Free Threat Protection + 1 additional month for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Axe of the Blood God, Nadia and Eric are joined by their special friend, Reb Valentine of IGN. Together, they Live A Live, Laugh A Laugh, and Love A Love. That's right: Reb reviewed the long-awaited 2DHD remake of the highly unusual Super Famicom RPG Live, and she's in love to say the least. In fact, Live A Live has seemingly charmed western RPG fans in a way that would have been deemed impossible back in 1995. Who says there's no longer hope for humankind? Make sure to check out Reb's full review! Also in this episode: Oh no Eric is playing Endwalker Nadia replays Xenoblade Chronicles to see if she still loves it. (Yes.) Yakuza 8 is real, it's coming, and Ichiban is everyone's friend. Axe of the Blood God is sponsored by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/bloodgod to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + Free Threat Protection + 1 additional month for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on a very special episode of Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric party down with friends of the show Ben Hanson  and John Carson. Nota bene: "Party down" in this instance means getting down to brass tacks and debating the best parties RPGs have to offer.  What's the secret glue that holds the cast of Chrono Trigger? Why does Final Fantasy 7 feel like it lacks that glue? Will a 13 Sentinels reference pop up? (Heck yes.) All these questions and more are on the table. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Axe of the Blood God charity stream is over, and somehow Kat, Nadia, and Eric came out the other side with their limbs and sanity intact. They also came out with $10,000+ raised for Trans Lifeline! That's worth a limb or three. This week's show has a brief post-mortem of the charity stream before the gang gets down to business: An informed conversation about the Gundam series' endless supply of inspiration for RPGs. What do RPGs, particularly Japanese RPGs owe to the classic anime? In short, just about everything—and not simply cool mech suits. Also in this episode: Nadia finished Omori and is left with feelings of warmth and cheeriness The new Genesis Mini is gonna rule!...if you live in Japan No, Nadia didn't drown a kid. He just got a little wet In the Post Show Summer of Gundam proceeds apace in this week's post show. The crew talks about the coolest Gundam models across the years, from the most battle-effective to the most edgelord-adjacent. (Hint: This is where Gundam Wing comes in.) Nadia's opinion is basically "robot smash other robot good, he he he." This is recorded live and available to our Stars of Destiny Patrons! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the December 2021 edition of Pantheon of the Blood God, Kat and Nadia are joined by Fanbyte's Nerium Strom and Michael Higham for an exploration of Persona 5! During their lengthy discussion, the group discusses just some of the following: - Its outstanding soundtrack - Its attempt to challenge the status quo in Japanese society - Its remarkable sense of style - Being constantly told to go to bed by a cat ... And much more! Then the verdict: Is Persona 5 worthy of inclusion in the Pantheon of the Blood God? Listen and find out! This episode was unlocked for Axe of the Blood God listeners during the recent charity stream benefiting Trans Lifeline! New episodes are released each month for $10 Patrons and above.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the (ahem) fallout of our #1 pick for the Top 25 RPGs of All Time, we got together with Khee Hoon Chan and Jay Castello to talk about whether it deserves to be the top-rated RPG of all time. How much does the setting, politics, and sidequests elevate it? And how much do the VATS System and bugs weigh it down? We discuss as part of part of our big 24 hour charity stream in which we were able to raise more than $10,000 for Trans Lifeline! Also in this episode: Valkyrie Elysium trail is here and it looks... good? It looks good! Kat has some thoughts on the Live a Live demo and Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Eric extols the virtues of 08th MS Team in Summer of Gundam Nadia's Nostalgia Nook takes us back to Our Lady Peace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer is a time for schmoozing with friends, which is why Axe of the Blood God invited veteran guest Len Hafer to talk about the best video game genre in the whole wide world. (Psst—that means RPGS.) Leana helps the Blood God wrap up the PC RPG Quest with a deep dive into the computer RPGs that shaped the '10s. And oh, what a decade it was. Kickstarter dreams and nightmares! Bioware's troubles! World of Warcraft! The rise of CD Projekt Red! Final Fantasy XIV's fall and resurrection! They don't make drama like this anymore. Also in this episode: The Live A Live demo is…live. And it's already something special. Mega Man Battle Network is getting a collection. Hey, it's RPG-adjacent. And the second game has a lot of swear words in it for some reason. Is it "Nicky-Nicky-Nine-Door" or "Ding-Dong-Ditch?" Come to our upcoming charity stream for Trans Lifeline, or else. In the Post Show Leana joins the gang for the usual hodge-podge of good stuff that the Blood God Crew wrings out of itself at the end of every show. This week, the discussion turns to live-action and/or animated adaptations of video games that we'd like to see. Plus, lots of Summer Games Done Quick discussion… and hey! Nadia got a gaming computer that's worth half a damn! This episode is available exclusively to our Patrons in the Stars of Destiny tier and above! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Axe of the Blood God, recent political going-ons have the gang physically, mentally, and spiritually taxed. Kat, Nadia, and Eric elect to take it easy and do a mid-year check-in of the RPGs. What are some of our favorite games this year? (Elden Ring might get a mention.) Which RPGs were surprise hits? Which seemed to slip under the radar? Opinions are shared. Also in this episode: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is looking quite fine. Eric is trying to build a Gundam model, RIP All glory to the Disneyworld Dead Lizard Patrol In the Post Show On this week's post show, Kat and Eric descend down an End of Evangelion hole, and Nadia just kind of sits with her gob as wide as a boot because she has no idea what they're talking about. But then the gang answers an important listener question about how they'd build their ideal RPGs. Eric and Nadia have answers that are almost normal, but Kat unleashes a nightmare idea on the masses. For the love of God, don't let her anywhere near RPG Maker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices