Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Podcast

Hello and welcome to Year 3 of the Axe of the Blood God! It's going to be an absolutely massive year for RPGs, and that means big things for the podcast. Here's just some of what we have planned as we move through 2023: An expansion to Youtube! We had a lot of success with our live show in 2022, and we'd love to expand that video component where possible. Expect more updates on this soon! Merch! We're working on a new store and a host of merch to go in it! We expect this to go live in February. The Pantheon Revisit! We'll be revisiting some of our most controversial Pantheon entries (and exclusions) from the first two years of the podcast to start 2023. It'll all culminate in a Pantheon revisit that will potentially see some RPGs make it in while others are removed. It should be chaotic!  Axe of the Blood God Episode 400! Wow, it's almost here! PAX East panel! We're going to be at PAX East in March! Stay tuned for more info! Spring of Korra! We'll be diving into our watch of Legend of Korra just as soon as we finish off Winter of Wick! March Madness, charity streams, D&D, Sharlayan Dropouts, and more! Naturally you can expect all of our usual content, including a charity stream, another D&D episode, a March Madness bracket centered around western RPGs, and more! That's on top of all of our usual coverage in what should be a very busy year for RPGs. From Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to Starfield to Baldur's Gate 3, we're going to have tons to discuss in 2023! Thank you as always for your generous support, and we look forward to another great year of podcasting on Axe of the Blood God! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've had an amazing 2021, and we're hoping 2022 will be even better! Nadia, Eric, and Kat get together to share their hopes and dreams for the new year along with the following: - Info on a brand new tier! - Free and premium feeds being synced! - Upcoming specials! - And much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Axe of the Blood God Patreon is officially live! Nadia and Kat get together to talk about where the show stands in 2021, what listeners to the free feed can expect going forward, and some of the exciting new bonus content that we'll be releasing now that we're officially independent! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod Twitter: https://twitter.com/bloodgodpod Instagram: bloodgodpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Been A Good Year For Games™ and Nadia, Eric, and Victor are ready to decide just how good. From the biggest smash hits like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to the pluckiest indie darlings like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, we're covering it all!So place some bets on your favourite RPGs of the year and warm up your vocal chords to yell at your phone; It's the 2025 Axe of the Blood God Awards! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Literally nothing else. See below for the categories and see below that for the lists of nominees. Note: Microsoft and the Xbox brand remain subjects of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement for their complicity in the ongoing apartheid and genocide of Palestine. In the interest of journalism we've chosen to cover Microsoft but encourage you to visit https://www.bdsmovement.net/microsoft for more information. Timestamps: 0:00 - Main Topic - The Blood God Awards! 3:28 - Favourite Blood God Moment 8:08 - Best Non-RPG 12:48 - Best Art Direction 19:12 - Best Innovation 28:40 - Best Revival 38:56 - Best Menu Screen 45:52 - Best Moment 56:08 - Coolest Move 1:02:56 - Best Combat System 1:15:44 - Best Music 1:21:08 - Best Party Member 1:29:20 - Best RPG of 2025 1:16:16 - Random Encounters 1:40:16 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook Awards Nominees: Favourite Blood God Moment:- Kat's Sendoff- Not Eric Playing Final Fantasy 6 lol- The Gonster- History of Sound Novels- Victor liking sexy ladies Best Non-RPG:- Blue Prince- Donkey Kong Bananza- Shadow Labyrinth- Hollow Knight: Silksong Best Art Direction:- Stray Children- Artis Impact- Hades 2- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Best Innovation:- The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy- Elden Ring: Nightreign- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Best Revival:- Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter- Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D- Raidou Remastered- Tokimeki Memorial: forever with you - emotional- Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles Best Menu Screen:- Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition- Digimon Story: Time Stranger- Monster Hunter Wilds- Not Persona 3 Reload- Citizen Sleeper 2- Hollow Knight: Silksong- Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles Best Moment:- Processing Grief - The Promise of Tomorrow - Patch 7.3 - Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail- End of Act 1 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33- End of Chapter 12 - Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition- Grinding for Advanced Classes - Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles- The Gommage - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Coolest Move:- Throw Rock - Final Fantasy Tactics- Elemental Genesis - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33- Giga Slash - Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Best Combat:- Raidou Remastered- Citizen Sleeper 2- Octopath Traveler 0- Demonschool- The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy- Elden Ring: Nightreign- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Best Music:- Octopath Traveler 0- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33- Hades 2- Into the Mist - Patch 7.4 - Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail- Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Best Party Member:- Estelle Bright - Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter- Elma - Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition- Susie - Deltarune- Maelle - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 RPG of the Year:- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33- The Hundred Line Last Defense Academy- Hades 2- Quartet- Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter- Demonschool- The First Berserker: Khazan- Fantasy Life i: The Girls Who Steals Time- Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma- Pokemon Legends Z-A- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II- Monster Hunter Wilds- Octopath Traveler II- Kingdom of the Dump- Shrine's Legacy- Citizen Sleeper 2- Elden Ring: Nightreign- Deltarune- Everhood 2- AvowedFurther Reading:2024 Sharlayan Dropouts Valentione's Day SpecialMusic in this Episode:Oasis in the 100 - The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like a cave behind a waterfall or a treasure chest just out of the camera's view, so to will these games make you feel special just by the nature of finding them. Some of 2025's best RPG experiences are tucked away in the corners of your local digital storefront but luckily Eric, Nadia, Victor, and special guest Lucas White are here to point you in the right direction. Whether you're looking for a mystery dungeon, a first-person dungeon crawl, or something with a bold art direction like you've never seen; this list will have something for you to cap off your year! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Don't support retro handhelds that perpetuate the military industrial complex Larian under fire for use of genAI Falcom under fire for use of genAI Update on Horses League of Legends 2? Note: Microsoft and the Xbox brand remain subjects of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement for their complicity in the ongoing apartheid and genocide of Palestine. In the interest of journalism we've chosen to cover Microsoft but encourage you to visit https://www.bdsmovement.net/microsoft for more information. Timestamps: 5:36 - Main Topic - Hidden Gems of 2025 1:16:16 - Random Encounters 1:40:16 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] Adventurer's Guild - [Wizardry Variants: Daphne] Games Mentioned in this Episode: Shujinkou Romancing SaGa Minstrel's Song Remastered International Ys: The Oath in Felghana Road to Empress Crescent Tower Angeline Era Capcom Picross Battle Suit Aces House of Necrosis Lunacid: Tears of the Moon Suikoden I & II Remaster Sunderfolk Artis Impact Look Outside Wizardy Variants: Daphne Baroque-ya Quartet OFF He Is Coming Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Wagotabi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curl up with a hot cup of coffee (or did I lie and it's actually cold?) and warm up by the agidyne+3 because it's time to discuss our favourite frosty friends in RPGs. From ice-based monsters to wielders of frost magicks, it's the guys (of any gender) that keep things cool. Plus, the Keighleys have come and gone and it's our journalistic duty to cover them. What was announced, who won, and why it's all a frustrating ordeal to think about. It's Cold Guys and Hot Takes here on a very chilly episode of Axe of the Blood God! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Which Shiva scissors the most? Let's WendiGOOOOOO! Why we love to hate The Game Awards Kat Bailey Presents Divinity Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Sweeps Timestamps: 9:20 - Main Topic - Cold Guys 1:02:32 - Random Tavern Encounters Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Snow Light - [Tales of Symphonia] Jingle Bells - [Linda^3] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a name like "Wishvale" there's no way that town wasn't going to get torched at the beginning of an RPG.Does this adaptation of a gacha mobage manage to sell itself as a standalone single-player console RPG? Eric, Nadia, and special guest Jesse Vitelli are here to discuss Octopath Traveler 0 and whether it can come in under the wire as a contender for RPG of the Year. All this and so much more on this episode of Axe of the Blood God! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Missed opportunities with character skits Final Fantasy XIV Patch 7.4 Promise Mascot Agency Metroid Prime 4 Timestamps: 15:04 - Main Topic - Octopath Traveler 0 1:00:00 - Random Encounters - FFXIV Patch 7.4 1:17:42 - Random Encounters - Promise Mascot Agency 1:24:46 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Battle 1 - [Octopath Traveler 16-Bit Arrangements] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy American Thanksgiving! We're taking the week off but as a very special treat we're pulling one of our favourite Pantheon episodes out from behind the paywall. To celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary it's our deep-dive into Sakura Wars for the Sega Saturn! If you can find 3 entire hours to sneak away from your family this Thanksgiving, it's a rollercoaster ride of emotions and packed with history and context for one of Sega's most important franchises. All the original show notes, including the further reading, are included below so please enjoy this blooming episode of Pantheon of the Blood God! -------------For our $10-and-up patrons, it's the longest Pantheon episode yet. Sakura Wars never came out in the West but its massive success in Japan in the late 90s and early 2000s gives it an often-unseen influence on RPGs. Can this forgotten SEGA franchise surpass the language barrier and make its way into the Pantheon? We talk about: For the last time, it's not a visual novel The history of western theatre in Japan Subversions of gender essentialism The single set of footprints in the sand is when Sakura Wars was carrying the Saturn and also fighting Satan. Further Reading:The Origin of Visual Novels - Bowl of Lentilshttps://youtu.be/7wOtv-J7tOI?si=tRyGSp0Hzd1Yyc4r25 Years With an Invisible Elephant in the Room - Tom Jameshttps://freelansations.medium.com/25-years-with-an-invisible-elephant-in-the-room-6e5402c93960Skies of Arcadia 2019 Developer Interviewhttps://youtu.be/BPngEZ80xnU?si=jMX2dffTcaR0BaS1Sakura Wars Retrospective Playlist - Matt Bhttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFMXcpj1mOa7AYfYPMZ80LzAwE3zl-ftVSakura Wars - Kimimi (not mentioned in the episode but good coverage of the series)https://kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com/sakura-wars-corner/Timestamps: 6:56 - Our History with Sakura Wars 18:00 - Development and History 2:08:00 - SPOILERS BEGIN 2:11:00 - SPOILERS END 2:38:48 - Verdict Music Used in This Episode: Move Out! - [Sakura Wars] Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan - [Sakura Wars] Blooming Maidens - [Sakura Wars] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Call us Hamburger Helper because this week we're cooking with beef!Eric, Nadia, and special guest John Learned are here to discuss only the rawest slabs of DPS meat. What's appealing about the unga bunga and how does it fit into the party composition? Get ready for a list full of himbos and fur bikinis! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Lord of the Rings tangents Steins;Gate Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Demonschool Timestamps: 8:00 Main Topic - The Beefy Boys 28:36 - Surprise Eric Pit 1:17:42 - Random Encounters 1:17:20 - The Tavern - Age of Imprisonment and Demonschool 1:42:56 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Road Taken - [Fire Emblem Fates] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm pulling a Retronauts and calling this "Part One" because we barely even got around to talking about the games themselves; instead, Victor, Eric, and Nadia wax philosophical about the seemingly-universal appeal of card games, the stories that can be told with a deck of cards, and how they fit perfectly into the systems and structure of both tabletop games and video games. Maybe in Part Two we'll talk about actual specific video games. Maybe Part Two will be the upcoming Mega Man Battle Network 2 Pantheon episode! Who can say? Go and get a tarot reading and find out! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Corpse Party cancelled Octopath Traveler 0 Impressions Canadian Cooking Shows and Human Anatomy Timestamps: 6:20 Main Topic - Card-Based RPGs 26:44 - History of Decks of Cards 1:17:42 - Random Encounters 1:21:12 - The Tavern - Octopath Traveler 0 Impressions 1:30:40 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] The Valedictory Elegy (for guitar) - [Baten Kaitos Origins] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May the Falz be with you!Award-winning creator of the Phantasy Star Tabletop RPG, Rich Lescouflair, joins Victor for an in-depth interview all about adapting a beloved JRPG into tabletop form, the joys of freeing oneself from the shackles of narrative canon, and why Phantasy Staar Online Episode III: CARD Recolution actually kicks ass.This is one multiplayer Phantasy Star that doesn't require a Hunter's License!Plus, Nadia, Eric, and Victor address why a 'Good Year For Games' isn't always a good year for the people who make them. All that and more on this episode of Axe of the Blood God! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Skydawn Games:https://skydawngames.com/ Liz Bushouse's Comparison of Phantasy Star Scripts:https://lizbushouse.com/phantasy-star-1-script-comparison-sega-ages-gba-part-1/ SkysNotTheLimit Phantasy Star Online Lore Channel:https://www.youtube.com/feed/subscriptions/UCUKqjgQUXrAGlQ35d4Aqn4Q Tom's Bluesky Thread About the Importance of Square's Human QA:https://bsky.app/profile/iiotenki.bsky.social/post/3m4yqll6bdk2h Also in this episode: Layoffs at Square Enix and QA being replaced by AI Happy N7 Day! Mass Effect is definitely still alive! The Game Awards confirms the Future Class is gone Exciting updates to Final Fantasy XI Hyrule Warriors, and Zelda's history of busty villainnesses Timestamps: 8:56 - Main Topic - Phantasy Star Tabletop RPG Interview w/ Rich Lescouflair 1:16:18 - Random Encounters 1:41:58 - The Tavern - Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment 1:56:00 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Rune - [Phantasy Star IV] Valentine - [Phantasy Star Online] Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Chaotic Bar - [Phantasy Star Online] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A podcast draws near!Eric, Nadia, and special guest Lucas White are here to discuss the latest Dragon Quest HD2D remake(s)! Is this collection of the first two entires in the seminal series a must-play or should you puff-puff pass? Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Contribute to Jen's Gofundme:https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jen-recover-from-mg-crisis Nadia's Review:https://gameinformer.com/review/dragon-quest-i-ii-hd-2d-remake/level-up-and-up Lucas' Review:https://www.shacknews.com/article/146558/dragon-quest-1-2-hd-2d-remake-review-score Also in this episode: What's the current state of Dragon Quest? We give Naoki Ikushima his flowers The Seance of Blake Manor New episodes of Dispatch Artis Impact Simogo Legacy Collection Final Fantasy House Timestamps: 8:48 Main Topic - Dragon Quest I&II HD2D 57:44 - Random Encounters 59:12 - The Tavern - Pokemon Hate 1:32:48 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Settings Menu (Intermezzo I) - [Theathrythm Dragon Quest] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note: Microsoft and the Xbox brand remain subjects of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement for their complicity in the ongoing apartheid and genocide of Palestine. In the interest of journalism we've chosen to cover Microsoft but encourage you to visit https://www.bdsmovement.net/microsoft for more information.Capitalism. In space!Eric and Nadia have been spending time with Outer Worlds 2, Victor and Nadia have been redistributing the world's supply of umbrellas to themselves, and Triple Triad is bringing cultures together. All this and more on a very special episode of Axe of the Blood God! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: How to get free umbrellas Upcoming 'Tales of' Remaster news! We hope Final Fantasy VII Part 3 doesn't make the same mistakes a Rebirth The creators we love (and Palworld) who say hell no to genAI Pokemon's cottage industry of outrage Eric's Twin Peaks: The Return update! Dispatch What games were YOU playing in 1992? How to solve a slide puzzle Timestamps: 13:40 Main Topic - Outer Worlds 2 42:24 - Random Encounters 59:12 - The Tavern - Pokemon Hate 1:32:48 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Sunflower Girl 2 - [Lunar Knights] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During this month of Every Game Finally Coming Out, Victor, Nadia, Eric, and special guest Giovanni Colantonio talk Pokemon Z-A, walkable cities in games, and what makes a good sidequest.Plus, Eric gives us the (vampire) rundown on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines and why you probably shouldn't wait 20 years to make a sequel. Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Dissidia Duellum fashion Phantasy Star Tabletop Impressions Where that expensive pokemon coffee comes from Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Lavender Town - [Pokemon Red/Blue] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vampires are so last year.Call your local Hex Maniac because Victor, Nadia, and Eric are holding a seance to determine the best spectres, phantoms, ghasts, and frights across the history of RPGs. It's time to talk ghosts!From the cutest to the cultists, from friendly to frightening, it's all ghosts all the time. Just don't mess around with a ouija board while listening to this episode. Or if you do, don't tell Eric. Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Sharlayan Dropouts News TRUE Encounter With REAL GHOSTS!! Unfortunate news for Heart Machine Timestamps: 11:12 Main Topic - The Best Ghosts in RPGs 1:20:28 - Random Encounters 1:29:20 - The Future of Sharlayan Dropouts 1:34:08 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Lavender Town - [Pokemon Let's Go] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Digi-see? Digi-hear? Digi-know it was coming?Your digi-destiny starts today and Eric, Nadia, and special guests, Kenneth Shepard, and Jesse Vitelli are your digi-guides through it all. Time Stranger, the latest in the Digimon Story sub-series of RPGs is finally here and it might just be a perfect entry point into the digital world. Learn al about it on this prodigious episode of Axe of the Blood God!And you better not suggest that Digimon don't have feelings or you're getting banned from bluesky. Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Why doesn't Nadia care about Digimon? Protomen Act III Bad News For EA Timestamps: 8:00 Main Topic - Digimon Story: Time Stranger 43:12 - Random Encounters 46:00 - The Tavern - The Protomen, EA Has Gone Private 1:04:16 - Ken Plays Fortnite for KPop Demon Hunters 1:20:40 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook, Sort of... Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Central Park - [Digimon World 3] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cheerio! Kat is moving to the UK and we celebrate with a mail bag AMA centered on her experience serving the Blood God, and you know it wouldn’t be a Kat episode without delving into the worlds of soccer and Magic The Gathering. - Plus, discussion of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles - The meaning of “mature” storylines - Whether or not Mario is a superhero.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we prepare for our fearless leader's graduation, it's time to celebrate the RPGs that made her. From tactics to action, from sim to rogue-lite, Kat, Eric, and Victor discuss Kat's idea of the perfect RPG library. Plus, Eric's been playing Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter; is this the Trails games that will hook newcomers? Listen to this perfectly bitter-sweet episode of Axe of the Blood God to find out! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 Baroque is back, baby! How easy it is to play old games Timestamps: 3:12 - Big News! 10:52 Main Topic - Kat's Perfect RPG Library 22:32 - Tactics 35:12 - Turn-Based 47:28 - Action 56:48 - Dungeon Crawler 1:05:36 - Simulation 1:13:52 - CRPG 1:20:16 - Rogue-lite 1:26:48 - Monster Collecting 1:27:18 - Wildcards 1:32:08 - Random Encounters 1:53:20 - The Tavern - Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Remake 1:36:08 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] Cityscape - The Sun Rises for Ones Who Smile - [Etrian Odyssey V] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pick a god and pray; Fire Emblem is back along with a deluge of news from the latest Nintendo Direct. Slow-life Pokemon, collections of Mega Mans, and remakes of good Dragon Quests. Kat, Nadia, and Victor discuss all this and more on the this episode of Axe of the Blood God! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: You can just play old games. Nothing is stopping you. Super Robot Wars brings us together Timestamps: 3:30 - Main Topic - Nintendo Direct Reactions - Fire Emblem 18:52 - Dragon Quest VII 29:28 - Pokemon Pokopia 35:34 - Virtual Boy 44:02 - Hades 2 45:08 Persona 3 Reload 46:44 - Danganronpa 48:20 - Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment 52:00 - Mega Man: Star Force 1:05:12 - Random Encounters 1:10:24 - Remembering the PlayStation on its 30th Birthday 1:36:08 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook - 40 Years of Super Mario Brothers Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Shooting Star - [Mega Man Star Force] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Final Fantasy Tactics you played back on the PS1 is not the real Final Fantasy Tactics. In fact, if you played it in the West you missed out on entire games-within-games that not only flesh out the world of Ivalice, but hold clues to the future of Square Enix. And these secrets are all tucked away in... Sound Novels!That's right, this week Victor and Nadia are joined by experts in the history of Japanese adventure games, Tom James and BowlofLentils, to discuss how The Ivalice Chronicles is steering us back onto the path of understanding the lineage of this misunderstood genre. Visual novels, sound novels, adventures games, point-and-clicks, text adventures, dating sims, oteme games, galge? What do they have in common and what makes them completely different? Find out on this expository episode of Axe of the Blood God! Sorry if you thought this was going to be about like, the nature of remakes or adaptations and the Ship of Theseus or whatever, but we've got sound novels to talk about! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Eternal Sonata Vanillaware's alternate Princess Maker timeline Doshin the Giant Why Inspector Gadget owes his life to Lupin III We mention Hollow Knight: Silksong purely for SEO purposes 428 Shibuya Scramble Famicom Detective Club FURTHER READING: BowlofLentils Youtube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@bowloflentils Tom James' Blog:https://dateemups.com/ Sharlayan Dropouts - The Veil of Wiyu:https://bloodgodpod.com/sharlayan-dropouts-lore-veil-of-wiyu/ Timestamps: 7:20 Main Topic - Ivalice Chronicles Resurrecting the Lost Sound Novels 1:32:08 - Random Encounters 1:36:08 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Contact - [YU-NO: a girl who chants love at the bound of this world] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices