Tales from the Backlog

Baldur's Gate 2, the second in BioWare's landmark RPG series, was always kind of "the goal", as it's usually said to be one of the best RPGs ever made, even more so than the first. And I do believe that it holds up in that way- the adventuring is unmatched, the characters are vivid and memorable, and you're able to see your character's arc come to a close, all the way from the beginning of Baldur's Gate 1. Joining me today is Bryan Skursha of Pixelated Playgrounds, a gaming book club podcast. Pixelated Playgrounds takes a very thoughtful and analytical approach to the games they cover, which I love. Check them out! TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:33 Story Setup/Storytelling/Characters/Role Playing 16:12 Visuals/Music 51:34 Combat/Gameplay 1:00:23 SPOILER WALL 1:28:12 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: 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

Remakes are so hot these days. From 20+ year old influental titles like Metroid to games that were still available on modern platforms like The Last of Us, love em or hate em, remakes here to stay. So in this episode, Dave & Dylan from Offshore Gamescast join me to discuss when remakes are wanted, why some succeed and what we'd like to see in the future. You can find all things Offshore Gamescast at their website! 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: 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

This episode has been a long time coming. One of my favorite games of all time, a game that I've played most of the way through several times, but never finished until now! Final Fantasy VI, Square's landmark Super Nintendo RPG brought us a wonderful cast of characters, an iconic villain, a bangin soundtrack, and an unforgettable story. How does it hold up today? Joining me to discuss is my longtime friend and my co-host on A Top 3 Podcast, Aaron Angle! TIMESTAMPS Intro/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:49 Story Setup/Characters/Tone 14:10 Music 37:24 Visuals 46:57 Combat/Gameplay 52:01 SPOILER WALL 1:14:25 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: 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

Hope you're ready to hold hands as we discuss Ico, a supremely influential game from Japan Studio and Team Ico. Its influences spread wide throughout the industry, as its minimalist storytelling, cinematic approach, animation and sound design can still be felt throughout your favorite modern games. But how does it hold up today? Joining me to discuss is Josh Covel from the wonderful Still Loading podcast. You can find everything Still Loading by following this link! TIMESTAMPS Intro/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:40 Story Setup/Storytelling/Presentation/Gameplay Intro 21:44 Puzzles/Combat 53:11 SPOILER WALL 1:25:25 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: 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

For as much as I love role playing games, and some later entries into the CRPG genre, I had never played the original Baldur's Gate, by BioWare....until now. This game largely holds up, despite being made with an antiquated Dungeons and Dragons ruleset, but my issues with the game were a bit more basic than deciphering THAC0 like I expected. I was joined for this episode by Phil Morgan from Deleted Saves, which is a highly recommended podcast. You can find Deleted Saves on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app, on Twitter and on Instagram! TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:26 Story Setup/Setting 18:49 Visuals/Voice Acting/Sound Design/Gameplay 38:49 SPOILER WALL 1:17:32 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: 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

The Last of Us Part II, by Naughty Dog is one of the most polarizing video games ever made. The sequel to a wildly successful, and some would say "complete", video game was bound to leave some feeling left behind, but this game quickly joined The Discourse....and I didn't hear any of it. So I came to this relatively fresh, and invited on Flora Merigold from Epilogue Gaming and Left Behind Game Club to discuss! Find out how we felt about this landmark, yet controversial game. TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:21 Story Setup/Tone/Visuals/Horror 12:09 Gameplay 43:41 SPOILER WALL 1:10:42 As always, thank you to my patrons, and you can be like them- here's the link to 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: 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

Nobody saw this one coming. Hi-Fi RUSH, by Tango Gameworks shadow dropped during an Xbox showcase and took the gaming world by storm. A colorful and cartoonish art style, a rockin soundtrack and the friendliest rhythm action gameplay around all make this game an absolute joy to play. Joining me to discuss is Kevin Ainsworth from Save the Game Media! Check out all of the shows that Save the Game does by following this link! TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:26 Story Setup/Rhythm Gameplay 14:37 Boss Fights 36:30 SPOILER WALL 55:23 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: 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

How do you remake a game that is: beloved by fans, acclaimed by critics, widely available on modern systems, AND still a blast to play? I don't have the answer, but Capcom sure as hell does. Resident Evil 4 (Remake) walks the line expertly: it modernizes mechanics while keeping the spirit of the original and it updates the story to make it a bit more modern. Joining me to discuss it are Jala Prendes (Jala-chan's Place, The Level) and Adam Bucceri (Boocherry Productions, Halftone Takes)! We had a great time talking about it, and we hope you enjoy it too! TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:33 Story Setup 21:57 Visuals/Music/Horror Elements 35:28 Gameplay/Combat 51:09 SPOILER WALL 1:36:06 Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Social Media: 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

This just in- patrons at the Tube Backer ($5 tier) will get a new monthly series called Tales from the WAY Backlog, which will be shorter (20-30 minutes) reviews of retro games at least 30 years old. Retro is a huge hole in my gaming history and a source of frustration for me, so this is both a history tour and a challenge for me to experience these older games. This episode is available to all as a taste of what's to come. If you enjoyed this and want more, future episodes will be available to $5 and higher patrons HERE! If Patreon isn't your jam, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Social Media: 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

Dredge, the 2023 cosmic horror fishing game by Black Salt Games, marries the explore-gather-craft-explore gameplay loop with cosmic horror. You want to stay out late to gather as many materials as you can...but the night is dark and full of terrors. I'm joined by Jill Grodt, who helms The Indie Informer, a fantastic website for all things indie gaming. Check it out! Thank you to Black Salt Games and Team17 for providing a review code! TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:23 Story Setup 13:18 Gameplay 21:30 Visuals/Music/Closing Thoughts 48:15 SPOILER WALL 1:01:43 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: 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