State of the Arc Podcast

In this second episode of our deep-dive into Final Fantasy VIII, we examine the graduation of our party members from students at Balamb Garden into full members of SeeD, then continue all the way through the end of disk 1--which culminates with the failed assassination attempt on the sorceress Edea.

In this first episode of our deep-dive into Final Fantasy VIII, we look at the key members of the development staff and the reasoning behind their decisions to mix things up and take FF8 in a very different direction from past entries. We also examine the style of director Yoshinori Kitase and character designer Tetsuya Nomura--this being their first opportunity to do things the way they saw fit without the oversight of Hironobo Sakaguchi. What makes a strong hook? Are the characters convincing? Was the setting relatable and compelling? We answer these questions and more after playing through the opening hours of Final Fantasy 8! Time Codes: 1. Introduction To Our Analytical Process (1:09) 2. Our Personal History And Opinions Of FF8 (6:29) 3. Development History And Influences (11:36) 4. Summary Of What We Played For This Episode (49:06) 5. Analysis Of The Game's Style (58:30) 6. Early Thoughts On Characters (1:27:00) 7. Other Observations (1:42:20) Join Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/vWzXpTc Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonantarc Twitter: @resonantarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonantarc

You guys have voted for Final Fantasy VIII to be our first game to cover in a multi-episode, long-form analysis. We've got lots of great info ready for the first episode! Looking forward to sharing it with you. Join Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/vWzXpTc Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonantarc Twitter: @resonantarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonantarc

We will be adjusting our podcast format starting with the next episode! Moving forward, we are going to have the audience select a game for us to do a deep dive on, which we will analyze over multiple episodes. Please vote on which game you'd like us to start with by clicking on the following strawpoll: https://www.strawpoll.me/21134118 Time Codes: 1. Patreon Announcements (0:51) 2. Changing The Format Of The Podcast (02:51) 3. Are Great Artists Destined To Lose Their Touch? (07:00)

Final Fantasy XVI has been officially announced, and today we're giving our thoughts on the first trailer. We'll also discuss what we've been up to over the past few months, give some updates on videos we're working on, and more! Steel Lake Studio: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtO2ECGzLXSaimfQtwbvv6w Parallel Quest Podcast: https://www.steellakestudio.com/parallelquest FF16 Japanese Trailer (Eng Subtitles): https://twitter.com/aitaikimochi/status/1307339397986095104 Time Codes: 1. Final Fantasy Retrospectives Updates and Announcements (6:55) 2. What We've Been Up To (16:45) 3. Final Fantasy XVI Impressions (40:05) 4. Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X Price Announcements (1:31:30) 5. Super Mario 3D Allstars Limited Run Controversy (1:36:50)

We're back in the studio again! Today we discuss how recent events are accelerating change in the game industry, how Lost Odyssey explores the burdens of immortal life, and the problems with writing time travel stories. Time Codes: 1. Accelerating Change In The Game Industry (3:15) 2. How Lost Odyssey Explores The Burdens Of Immortality (19:15) 3. The Problem With Writing Time Travel Stories (53:35)

Pat Holleman joins me again, alongside Hian (a game developer living and working in Japan) to talk more about our thoughts on the Final Fantasy VII Remake as well as what we think the "spirit" of Final Fantasy is. We also dig into series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi's JRPG formula. Pat's Upcoming Video Game "Quartet": https://quartetrpg.com/ Pat's Reverse Design Series: http://thegamedesignforum.com/books/books.html Time Codes: 1. Final Fantasy VII Remake Spoiler Discussion (2:54) 2. What Is The Spirit Of Final Fantasy? (58:28)

Time Codes: How Has Your Audience Responded To The Ending?: 3:58 What Were Your Expectations For FF7R When First Announced?: 12:27 How Do You Define A Remake? What Is The Purpose Of A Remake?: 27:47 Was Square's Marketing Misleading?: 53:26 What Do You Think Square Got The Most Right With FF7R?: 1:06:14 Discussion On FF7R's Design Philosophy And Similarity To FF13: 1:18:35 Discussion On FF7R's Combat Mechanics: 1:52:45 Discussion On Story Expansion And Changes: 2:20:50 Patreon Questions: Which Character Got The Best Treatment In FF7R?: 2:50:26 How Do You Feel About Cloud Standing Toe To Toe With Sephiroth So Early In The Story?: 2:52:42 How Would You Do An Alternate/Parallel Universe Story Faithfully To The Original Game: 2:58:00 How Did You Feel About The Death Fakeout Scene?: 3:02:26 What Are Your Thoughts On The Possible Meta Narrative Elements Of The Ending?: 3:08:35

Today we discuss our thoughts on Dragon Quest Your Story, Final Fantasy The Spirits Within, and the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo. Casen's Dragon Quest Your Story Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak3oANe5dfs TIME CODES: 1. Patreon Questions (2:36) 2. Should Adaptions Be Judged By Faithfulness To Source Material? (22:29) 3. Thoughts On Dragon Quest Your Story (39:25) 4. Thoughts On Final Fantasy The Spirits Within (50:40) 5. Final Fantasy VII Remake Demo Thoughts (1:13:23)

Today we discuss what we believe the "spirit" of Final Fantasy is, as well as what makes a good "foil" character. TIME CODES: 1. What Is The Spirit Of Final Fantasy? (6:22) 2. What Makes A Good Foil Character? (35:00)