State of the Arc Podcast

Next week, on Christmas Day, we'll be beginning our deep-dive into Metal Gear Solid 2, Hideo Kojima's follow-up to the PS1 stealth action masterpiece. In this video, I explain why you should play (or replay) the game alongside us.

Which Final Fantasy games start off with bang, and which ones whimper pathetically on the floor? Which intros propel these games to legendary status, and which ones would the games be better off without? We discuss the qualities at the beginning of each game and rank them in order, from best to worst. It turns out, Final Fantasies all have pretty great intros, so even the least of these games here on this list is still probably above average. But there are a handful of games that shine brighter than the rest. Leave a comment with your list! Hironobu Sakaguchi interview Mike mentions: Edited: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRf6sqVv4_o Unedited: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3PoBiBb_HU Time Codes: Intro (0:00) Setting The Stage (1:29) 15 (4:39) 14 (11: 25) 13 (17:49) 12 (19:19) 11 (24:16) 10 (35:44) 9 (41:00) 8 (46:44) FFXII SPOILER (53:28) 7, also XII Spoiler is Now Over (58:21) 6 (1:02:15) 5 (1:05:35) 4 (1:10:17) 3 (1:16:52) 2 (1:24:45) 1 (1:39:11) **We're Now On Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3 **Listen On Soundcloud**: https://soundcloud.com/resonantarc **Listen On iTunes**: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-the-arc-podcast/id1121795837 **Listen On Pocket Cast**: http://pca.st/NJsJ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonantarc Subscribe Star: https://www.subscribestar.com/resonant-arc Twitter: https://twitter.com/resonantarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonantarc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resonantarc TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@resonantarc

The votes are in! The patrons have chosen! But which game will we cover next for a long-form analysis on our podcast? Metal Gear Solid 2? Terranigma? Why not both? Will we EVER cover Final Fantasy 9? Find out today! Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonantarc Subscribe Star: https://www.subscribestar.com/resonant-arc Twitter: https://twitter.com/resonantarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonantarc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resonantarc TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@resonantarc

The intro to art is often the most important part. Video games are no exception. If a dev team can pull off a good intro, they likely will be able to pull off a good game. To craft the perfect intro takes a lot of coordination between the directors, producers, musicians and the dev team. When it's done right, it almost always spells success for the rest of the game. In this episode, we dip back into many of the games we've covered on this podcast. Games like Xenogears, Bioshock, Vagrant story and more! Time Codes: Intro (0:00) Honorable Mentions (3:11) 1 (9:07) 2 (17: 27) 3 (22:15) 4 (28:08) 5 (34:22) 6 (46:11) 7 (54:12) 8 (1:00:26) 9 (1:08:19) 10 (1:18:59) **We're Now On Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3 **Listen On Soundcloud**: https://soundcloud.com/resonantarc **Listen On iTunes**: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-the-arc-podcast/id1121795837 **Listen On Pocket Cast**: http://pca.st/NJsJ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonantarc Subscribe Star: https://www.subscribestar.com/resonant-arc Twitter: https://twitter.com/resonantarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonantarc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resonantarc TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@resonantarc

In today's episode, we're covering Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece, Princess Mononoke. Set during Japan's late Muromachi period and incorporating fantastical elements, the tale centers on Ashitaka, a young prince of the Emishi people, as he becomes entangled in a conflict between the forest's spirits and the humans exploiting its resources. The film explores a recurring theme in Studio Ghibli's works: environmentalism, presented as a response to the effects of industrialization, framed within the traditions of Shintoism, animism, and folklore.

Today, my good friend Hian and I discuss the concept of Mono No Aware in Japanese culture—the "Romance of Impermanence" and the beauty of letting go while maintaining the appreciation of precious memories. Hian's Essay: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EsKkfrt8wyaZUqwWjsnJDg1jNGoWM80s/view?usp=drive_link

Having just finished Alan Wake, we couldn't help but notice the Jungian symbolism woven into the story. This is a story about Alan's journey to face himself, his shadow, and leave behind a persona (and image of himself) he has grown to hate.

I became fluent in Spanish in 4 months. Here is how I did it, and the good news is, it's something that you can do too! It's a basic, easy method that anyone can do. But it's not exactly a thing that you'd expect. I am currently studying Swedish with this same method to great success. Check it out! What language do you want to learn? SUBS2SRS: https://subs2srs.sourceforge.net/ Pimsleur: https://www.pimsleur.com/ **We’re Now On Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3 **Listen On Soundcloud**: https://soundcloud.com/resonantarc **Listen On iTunes**: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-the-arc-podcast/id1121795837 **Listen On Pocket Cast**: http://pca.st/NJsJ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonantarc Subscribe Star: https://www.subscribestar.com/resonant-arc Twitter: https://twitter.com/resonantarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonantarc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resonantarc TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@resonantarc

The console war is upon us, whether we would risk it or not! In which case, which side are we on? This matchup is specifically between Sony and Nintendo, with only mentions of Sega and X-Box. We've developed an objective criteria with which to judge these behemoths of the gaming world. Each console from the beginning to the most recent generation will receive a score from 0 to 5. The one with the higher number wins the match-up. How will your favorite consoles fare in this new, deadly framework? Time Codes: 1. Intro (0:00) 2. Criteria (2:02) 3. NES (7:43) 4. SNES (12:19) 5. PS1 vs. N64 (20:41) 6. PS2 vs. Game Cube (29:23) 7. PS3 vs. Wii (35:27) 8. Wii U (45:46) 9. PS4 vs. Switch (53:54) 10. Thoughts on the future (1:07:57) **We’re Now On Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3 **Listen On Soundcloud**: https://soundcloud.com/resonantarc **Listen On iTunes**: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-the-arc-podcast/id1121795837 **Listen On Pocket Cast**: http://pca.st/NJsJ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonantarc Subscribe Star: https://www.subscribestar.com/resonant-arc Twitter: https://twitter.com/resonantarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonantarc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resonantarc TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@resonantarc

Sheriff Sarah Breaker takes Allan in for questioning. Alan's phone rings, his wife's voice faintly coming through, followed by a chilling voice dictating Alan's next moves if he ever wants to see her alive again. At Lovers' Peak, the kidnapper demands Alan's manuscript, claiming it foretells future events. Their confrontation escalates, leading to a brutal struggle and a desperate chase through the darkness. The kidnapper escapes, leaving Alan to fight his way back to the Cabin. Barry, finally understanding the gravity of their situation, supports Alan’s frantic efforts. Barry receives a call from Rose, under the sinister influence of an old woman, setting a deadly trap. Alan presses on towards Rose, but both he and Barry fall unconscious as They drink Rose’ coffee. As Alan awakens from his nightmare, the truth crashes down on him: the mysterious editors are Barbara Jagger and Thomas Zane. Returning to Barry's car, he finds himself surrounded by FBI agents and police, led by the relentless FBI Agent Nightingale. The Dark Presence strikes, chaos erupts as Alan narrowly escapes the police. At the KBF-FM radio station, he confronts a darkness-possessed gate, its malevolence blocking his path. Fending off the swarming Taken, Alan makes his way inside, meeting Pat Maine, the radio host. Yet again, Nightingale and his men close in, cornering Alan. Sheriff Sarah Breaker intervenes, but Nightingale's volatile temper flares as he shoots at Alan, allowing him to slip away amidst the chaos. Reaching the train depot, Alan steals a car, leaving possessed machinery and Taken adversaries in his wake. He journeys to the Coal Mine Museum, waiting until nightfall for Ben Mott's call about a change of plans. The new rendezvous: Mirror Peak lookout. The path is fraught with danger as Alan battles Taken and poltergeists, his resolve unwavering. Traversing through a ghost town and silver mine, Alan hears Alice's haunting voice echoing through the tunnels. Emerging near the lookout, he navigates the mountain ruins, overhearing Mott's tortured confession that he never had Alice. Desperation turns to fury as Alan approaches the kidnapper, but the Dark Presence manifests as a violent tornado, ripping Mott into the air. In a climactic struggle, the Dark Presence targets Alan, threatening to tear him asunder. With a last desperate flare, Alan is flung into the lake. As he sinks into the abyss, a hand reaches.