Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Podcast

Last week's Activision Blizzard layoffs cast a pall over Blizzard, developer of the most successful MMORPG ever made. Kat and Nadia discuss what it all means, why the layoffs were especially brutal, and more. After that, Kat celebrates Final Fantasy 8's anniversary by reminding everyone that it was good, and the pair take a look at the recent Nintendo Direct reveals. Finally, guest Rowan Kaiser returns to talk about #6 on our Top 25 RPG list: Ultima 7! Find out how it revolutionized the open world RPG genre, and why it's still a remarkable game nearly 30 years later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Nadia away, Mike Williams returns for #7 on the Top 25 RPG Countdown list: Fallout! Mike and Kat talk about its amazing writing, the memorable world it created, and why the rest of the Fallout series is still trying to match it to this day. Plus, Mike and Kat go through all of the week's RPG news while talking about how Anthem can avoid the mistakes of BioWare's last online game: Star Wars: The Old Republic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Wii Shop is officially gone, making high-quality versions of everything from Chrono Trigger to Faxanadu much harder to find. Nadia and Kat go through the list to highlight the various affected RPGs (Ogre Battle!), alternative sources for playing them, and of course, why they're worth remembering.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having looked back on the history of Kingdom Hearts, it's time to talk about the newest game in the series: Kingdom Hearts 3! Caty, Kat, and Nadia get together to talk about how well it wraps up the story; the updates to the battle system, and its notable lack of Final Fantasy. Plus, Kat shares her thoughts on Anthem, and wonders if BioWare might have botched a key part of its appeal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia are joined by Kingdom Hearts fan Caty McCarthy to look back on the history of the series up until now. How does it reflect animation history, and what the heck is up with that story? We answer these questions and more as we reflect on Tetsuya Nomura's masterpiece (?) til now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia leap back into the Top 25 RPG countdown with the best Dragon Quest of them all: Dragon Quest V! The pair explain why its epic sweep, monster hunting mechanics, and odd (but hilarious) romance system make it a classic. Plus, they cover the big Destiny split, Tales of Vesperia on Switch, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia ask five big questions as they preview the year 2019 in RPGs. Will Kingdom Hearts 3 live up to expectations? Will Anthem save BioWare? And what about Persona 5 on Switch. Plus, we talk about some of the smaller RPGs that we're excited to play in the new year (Indivisible!). Will 2019 rebound after a so-so 2018? Let's find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and Nadia conclude 2018 by each choosing their favorite RPG of 2018, as well as a couple underrated gems. Then they do one last mailbag while looking ahead to 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat and the entire USG gang get together to recap all of the best games of 2018! From Red Dead Redemption 2 to Return of the Obra Dinn, we argue over what worked, what didn't work, and whether they match up to the best of 2018. Plus, we talk about the year's biggest trends, and look ahead to 2019! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many RPGs were released in 2018. Some of them were good, others were very bad. Kat and Nadia go through the calendar and talk about the high points and low points of an interesting year in RPGs, covering Monster Hunter: World, Octopath Traveler, Fallout 76, and more. Plus: Kat and Nadia recap the announcement of Persona's Joker for Smash Bros., and Kat gets very excited about The Outer Worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices