Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi I didn't hear about Dragon Quest for a very long time, probably an embarrassingly long time, and once I played one, I didn't....get it. It all seemed too plain, too simple, too lacking in complexity, and while a part of me was relieved to suddenly have less "homework" to do as I'm forever catching up on RPGs that I missed, part of me felt an ever-present need to "get it". Yada yada yada, I finally had another reason to try Dragon Quest, starting with Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride on DS, and folks....I get it now. Tune in to find out how I got there. Guest info: Chris Coplien of Retro Hangover Listen to Retro Hangover https://linktr.ee/retrohangover Check out the first of Dragon Quest V's episodes in the King of Games 1992 tournament https://retrohangover.captivate.fm/episode/king-of-games-92-round-1-match-4-sonic-the-hedgehog-2-vs-dragon-quest-v Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/retrohangover.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:42 Intros 6:10 Personal Histories with Dragon Quest V 12:15 Opening Thoughts 14:54 Story Setup/Generational Structure 26:19 Overcoming Constraints/Presentation 34:26 Story Themes/Cozy Charm 45:16 Soundtrack/Influence 56:10 Gameplay- Combat/Monster Collecting 1:12:05 Final Thoughts/Recommendations 1:14:45 Retro Hangover Podcast 1:19:23 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-You's 1:21:15 Spoiler Section- Act 1 and 2 2:06:04 Spoiler Section- Act 3 and Closing Thoughts Music used in the episode is credited to Koichi Sugiyama. Tracks used: Overture, Overworld, Town, Battle, Melody in an Ancient Town, The Ocean, Zenithia, Saint Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has risen to the gaming mainstream with its beloved Like a Dragon series, and when a hot streak occurs, a heat check often follows, and there is no bigger heat check than a game where you play through a Hawaiian pirate adventure starring the series' lovable maniac, Goro Majima. So why has Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii fallen out of the conversation, even among series diehards? Did the heat check connect, or is it the beginning of a downturn? All that and more in this great conversation. Guest info: Brian Edwards Listen to the Cane and Rinse podcast https://caneandrinse.com/ Listen to the Character Issues podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-character-issues-podcast/id1530881747 Follow Brian on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/characterissues.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:20 Intros 5:45 Personal Histories With Yakuza Series 9:53 The Yakuza Secret Sauce 14:12 Opening Thoughts about Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii 20:34 Like a Dragon Series Fatigue? 35:15 Story Setup, Majima the Leading Man 45:40 Framing Device, Substories, Goofs 1:11:18 Pirate Gameplay, Ship Combat 1:33:51 Action Combat 1:44:59 Mini-Games and Side Activities 1:52:36 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:57:57 Character Issues, Cane and Rinse 2:02:33 Spoiler Wall/Patron Thank-Yous 2:04:37 Spoiler Section- Substories 2:18:42 Spoiler Section- Main Story and Ending Music used in the episode: Anchors Aweigh (Saori Yoshida) Nameless Traveler (Saori Yoshida) Palekanian Dance (Yuri Fukuda) Mad Dog (Keitarou Hanada) Echoes of Hope (Kazuki Takagi) Masaru's Love Journey (Mitsuhara Fukuyama) Check out the King of Games 1999 tournament on Retro Hangover! https://linktr.ee/retrohangover Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

*Spoiler section includes some spoilers for key moments and/or themes in Nier Automata, Persona 5 Royal and Metaphor ReFantazio. Support my work on Patreon Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Once or twice a year, a game will hook me so strongly that not only can I not stop playing it, I can't stop thinking about it. If it's not the constant pull to get back on the sticks and play, it was the constant pull to think about the story. Sandfall Interactive caught lightning in a bottle with their debut game, and I couldn't wait to have this conversation and share it all with you. Guest info: Michael Higham Read Michael's review of Expedition 33 https://www.ign.com/articles/clair-obscur-expedition-33-review Follow Michael on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/brazyazn.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:42 Intros 6:25 Personal Histories with Expedition 33 9:31 Opening Thoughts about Expedition 33 13:12 Story Setup/Worldbuilding/A Strong Story Hook 24:15 Cast of Characters 31:29 Overview of Themes 39:55 Comic Relief in a Bleak Story 45:15 Music/Presentation 1:03:02 Combat- Dodging and Parrying, Difficulty 1:14:57 Combat- Offense and Character Building 1:28:28 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:36:28 Michael's Work at IGN 1:39:37 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-You's 1:41:20 Spoiler Section- What's Happening? 2:07:28 Spoiler Section- Endings and Interpretations 2:39:13 Spoiler Section- Optional Bosses, More Thoughts, "For Those Who Come After" Music used in the episode: Alicia (Lorien Testard, Alice Duport-Percier) Lumière (Lorien Testard, Alice Duport-Percier) Gustave (Lorien Testard) World Map- In Lumière's Name (Lorien Testard) Une vie à t'aimer (Lorien Testard, Alice Duport-Percier, Victor Borba) Our Painted Family (Lorien Testard) We Lost (Lorien Testard, Alice Duport-Percier, Victor Borba) Verso (Music Box) (Lorien Testard) Is It a Gestral or a Volleyball? (Lorien Testard) You can purchase the soundtrack here: https://lacedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/clair-obscur-expedition-33-original-soundtrack Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon Two podcasters entered the room on a collision course, one with a backlog the size of a mobster's rap sheet, the other with one foot in the past. There was only one way out of this mess- one podcast to end them all. The subject was an old friend, if you consider a man out of options a friend. A man with a thirst for revenge that nothing could quench- Max Payne. Guest info: Nomad (The Retro Wildlands) Listen to The Retro Wildlands https://linktr.ee/retrowildlands Check out the Superpod Network https://superpodnetwork.com/ Follow Nomad on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/retrowildlands.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:32 Intros 5:24 Our Histories with Remedy and Max Payne 10:36 Opening Thoughts About Max Payne 16:00 Story Setup/Revenge Themes 23:00 Neo-Noir Storytelling and Presentation 32:25 Remake Talk 34:25 Music 38:22 Combat 52:02 Other Gameplay 1:00:23 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:08:13 The Retro Wildlands Plugs 1:15:11 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:16:35 Spoiler Section- Plot Twists and Mysteries 1:25:18 Spoiler Section- Revenge and Vigilantism Music used in the episode is credited to Kärtsy Hatakka and Kimmo Kajasto. Tracks used: Max Payne Theme, Graphic Novel, Whack Him, Mr. Big, Max Payne Theme (Short Version) Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon As a lifelong Indiana Jones agnostic, there was no way that MachineGames would make an Indiana Jones game I would care about, right? Right? Well, it certainly looked that way when the first gameplay trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle dropped. But then I started hearing my activation phrases start to bounce around- "this is like Hitman", "this is like Dishonored", so I knew I had to give it a try. And boy am I glad that I did! Guest info: Dan of The Greatest Story Ever Played Check out the podcast https://linktr.ee/thegreateststoryeverplayed Follow Dan on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/storyeverpod.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:36 Intros 3:33 Personal Histories with Indiana Jones and The Great Circle 7:55 Opening Thoughts 11:33 Story Setup and Troy Baker as Indiana Jones 16:35 A Great Villain and Supporting Cast 24:54 Music and Visual Presentation 34:36 Combat and Stealth 48:28 Side Quests, Exploration and Level Design 1:04:19 Final Thoughts/Recommendations 1:08:24 The Greatest Story Ever Played Plugs 1:13:07 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:14:46 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to Gordy Haab. Tracks used: The Great Circle, A New Adventure Awaits, Where Are We, Gina's Theme, Signs of the Stones, Until the Next Adventure Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon Strange Scaffold is a rare game studio that gets as much, or maybe even more, positive attention for their workplace ethos and number of releases per year as they do for their games themselves. I found myself in that same position, with great respect for their process, but no experience with the games themselves....until now! El Paso, Elsewhere is an emotional take on neo-noir, vampire stories, Max Payne and boomer shooters, and it works really well! Guest info: Jacob McCourt and Luke Lewis Check out their shared podcast Crossplay Conversations https://www.youtube.com/@crossplayconvos Check out Lukewarm Games https://www.lukewarmgames.com/ Follow Luke on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/lukewarmlewis.bsky.social Check out Left Behind Game Club https://leftbehindgame.club/ Check out Jacob's written reviews on The Gaming Brief https://thegamingbrief.ca/ Follow Jacob on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/jacob.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:22 Intros 4:20 Personal Histories with Strange Scaffold/El Paso, Elsewhere 10:43 Top-Level Thoughts on El Paso, Elsewhere 15:10 Story Setup 20:49 Presentation and Storytelling 27:02 Music 34:39 Shooting and Bullet Time 48:57 Gameplay Pacing 55:03 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:01:27 Jacob and Luke Plug Their Stuff! 1:11:31 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:13:45 Spoilers- Janet, Draculae and James 1:33:06 Spoilers- Addiction, Being a Good Person, Endings Music used in the episode is credited to R.J. Lake and LAKE SAVAGE. Tracks used: a forty-six story motel, GONNA CUT, GHOSTIN' THE MAINFRAME, audio demon, almost exactly the same, next time on elpasoball z. Buy the score- https://spellmynamewithabang.bandcamp.com/album/el-paso-elsewhere-part-one-the-score Buy the rap album- https://spellmynamewithabang.bandcamp.com/album/el-paso-elsewhere-part-two-the-album Check out an interview with Xalavier Nelson Jr on the Gamerheads Podcast. Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon I was admittedly very late to the King's Field and Shadow Tower bandwagons, energized by my love for FromSoftware's modern titles and a desire to dig into their history some more. However, I didn't anticipate loving those games so much that I wanted more like them, and that's where Kira LLC's Lunacid (2023) entered the fray. Lunacid is a fantastic game, leaning more on the exploration and vibes of those FromSoftware dungeon crawlers than the opaque RPG mechanics, capturing the spirit in a modern way. A true indie success- listen in to find out why. Guest info: Dave Cox of Monster Dear Monster Check out Monster Dear Monster podcast https://www.monsterdear.monster/ Follow Dave on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/senplus.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:27 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 11:53 Story/World Setup 28:51 PS2-era Presentation/Controls 40:53 Soundtrack 47:52 Gameplay/RPG Mechanics 1:09:07 World Design/Exploration 1:13:53 "Breaking the Level Design" 1:29:49 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs 1:38:57 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:41:13 Spoiler Section- Discoveries and Easter Eggs 2:04:22 Spoiler Section- Story and Ending Music used in the episode is credited to Kira LLC. Tracks used: River of Death (Akuma Kira) The Great Well (Jarren Crist) Washed Away (Akuma Kira) Falling To My Death (Jarren Crist) Serence (Jarren Crist) The World and You (Akuma Kira) Serence (Reprise) (Jarren Crist) Purchase the soundtrack- https://store.steampowered.com/app/2692630/Lunacid_Original_Soundtrack/ Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon Some games just grab your attention from the first trailer, and South of Midnight is one of those games. A breathtaking art style and a gothic Southern fantasy setting? South of Midnight jumped straight to the top of my to-play list, and it did not disappoint. Guest info: Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? Check out all of the writing and reporting on But Why Tho? https://butwhytho.net/ Check out Kate's article on the folklore inspirations in South of Midnight https://butwhytho.net/2025/04/south-of-midnight-real-southern-folklore/ Follow Kate on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/ohmymithrandir.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:30 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 13:54 Story Setup/Folklore/Southern Gothic Storytelling 46:37 Presentation- Visuals/Music 1:01:46 Gameplay/Combat 1:21:49 Recommendations/Guest Plugs 1:30:37 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:32:26 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to Olivier Deriviere. You can purchase the soundtrack here. Tracks Used: Hazel's Story, The Storm, The Floods, Two-Toed Tom (Boss Fight), The Full Story, The Story Ends Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Flora Merigold, a writer for Epilogue Gaming and podcaster at Left Behind Game Club, shares her insights on Persona 4 Golden. She explores the game's intricate murder mystery and deep character development, highlighting its psychological themes like self-acceptance. Flora discusses the challenges of character representation and societal expectations, particularly focusing on Kanji and Naoto's journeys. The conversation emphasizes the narrative's impact on players, making a case for video games as profound storytelling mediums.

What if Resident Evil 1 was just puzzles? What if it was also about eccentric artists and how they view their art and the creative process vs how their work is perceived? Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (Simogo, 2024) is that game! Tune in to find out how we felt about it! Guest Info: Jesse Guarascia Find Jesse's work on Noclip's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@NoclipDocs Support Noclip on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/noclip Check out Blowback https://blowback.show/ Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/jesseguarascia.com TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:35 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 15:10 Story Setup/Story Themes 34:40 Puzzles 51:23 Presentation 1:09:11 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs 1:18:49 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:21:12 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén and Jonathan Eng. You can purchase the soundtrack here. Tracks used: Titles (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén) Art (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén) Mind Game (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén) Quiz Club (Daniel Olsén) The Black Arts Coffee Club (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén, Jonathan Eng) Interrogation (Daniel Olsén, Jonathan Eng) The Last Dream (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén) How It Ends (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén) Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Twitter Facebook Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog