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