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.

Alan Wake, a famous crime novelist from New York City, lives in a world of stories, especially those with supernatural elements. But he's been suffering from writer's block for two years, so he and his wife Alice head to the remote town of Bright Falls for some peace and quiet. Suddenly, Alan finds himself driving along a dark road at night, and before he can stop, he hits a hitchhiker on the road. However, as he gets out, the man is gone, and the road he was just driving on is blocked behind him. Alan then realizes that the man is a terrifying, shadowy figure possessed by a Dark Presence. He gives chase to Alan, taunting and attacking him. Then, a mysterious light saves him, and he learns that only light can harm the shadows that pursue him. Eventually, Alan “wakes” up from this "nightmare," disoriented. Alan and Alice drive to an eerie cabin on Cauldron Lake. Alice then reveals that she hopes the setting will help her husband work through his writer’s block. This frustrates him, and he storms out of the cabin alone. Alice, who has a terrible fear of the dark, screams. He rushes back into the cabin, only to find that she has vanished. Alan dives into the lake in a desperate attempt to save her, and everything goes black. Upon regaining consciousness, Alan finds himself in a wrecked car with no memory of how he got there. He stumbles through the woods, only to realize that things have taken a surreal and terrifying turn. The forest around him is dark, and strange shadows begin to close in, echoing the nightmare sequence from earlier. Along the way, he finds pages of a manuscript titled Departure, describing the terrifying events happening around him. Even stranger, Alan doesn’t remember writing any of it. The manuscript draws Alan deeper into a horror story he is creating yet can’t control.

Do you want to know what the top ten games of all time are? I think it's time to settle this once and for all. Mike and Casen go head to head in all out war as they try to settle this age old question once and for all. The rules are simple. For each match-up, from #10 to #1, the points get higher and higher. The winner of the #10 spot gets 1 point, while the winner of the #1 spot gets 10 points. Who's list will win the day? Casen's or Mike's? YOU DECIDE! Time Codes: 1. Intro (0:00) 2. Honorable Mentions (2:57) 3. #10 (7:33) 4. #9 (17:15) 5. #8 (24:17) 6. #7 (33:53) 7. #6 (44:10) 8. #5 (53:01) 9. #4 (1:01:43) 10. #3 (1:13:10) 11. #2 (1:29:42) 12. #1 (1:45:13) **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

This is just a quick message in response to a great conversation I had over the phone with Zakogdo. I wanted to correct the record in some areas where he felt we misrepresented him and let you guys know where the future of this conversation lies on our channel.

In today's episode, we begin our deep dive into Alan Wake, a 2010 action-thriller game from Remedy Entertainment. In this first episode, we'll tell the story of the game's development, getting into the creators' headspace and setting up the themes and deeper meaning the game will explore. Join us!

Alexander O. Smith returns to talk game translation and localization. What words did he sneak into every Final Fantasy game that he translated? How would he have tackled current controversial translations? All this and more are discussed in this exciting episode of the Resonant Arc Podcast. Alexander's Instagram account: http://www.instagram.com/aokajiya/ The "Shogun" breakdown Alexander mentioned from Hiroko Yoda: https://blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/jidaigeki-made-in-usa **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

Disclaimer for this episode: It has come to my attention since recording this episode (months ago) that there is some controversy surrounding the discussion of Paul Atreides as a "hero" among fans of the series. There are many who reject the idea that Frank Herbert's intention was misunderstood, as I state at the beginning of the video. I hope people watching this who are suspicious that I am going down the "Paul is actually the villain" route will give my take a chance. We set up how Villuneuve views this, as well as Frank Herbert's son Brian, and many people oppose those interpretations. All of that aside, I hope you give my take on this movie a chance, because I DON'T believe Paul is the "villain" of the story. I simply believe he is a human being, and human beings are complicated. I had a deeply emotional experience with this film, one that draws on a lot of my most raw personal experiences, and that is what I refer to when I make my analysis of this film. I hope it will be of some merit in this discussion. -Mike In today's episode, we're covering Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve's follow-up to the 2021 epic sci-fi film. This time, we get the second half of the adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel and the conclusion to the story. In the film version, Villeneuve focuses on the danger of messianic figures and shows how heroic, charismatic leaders manipulate the beliefs of passionate people to achieve their own aims, for better or worse.

How far is too far? If a translator tries to use common phrases and manners of speaking in the target language but does so at the expense of the source language's intention, who is to blame? We conducted an interview with Zakogdo over text and asked him some of these exact questions. Zakogdo is someone who talks about the localization of Japanese games on X and has gotten lots of traction this year by critiquing the translations of games like Unicorn Overlord and Eiyuden Chronicle. The interview was conducted over text, and we sought to find places of agreement and understanding. Find Zakogdo here: x.com/zakogdo Time Codes: 1. Intro (0:00) 2. Why Are We Doing This? (1:22) 3. How Did Zakogdo Learn Japanese? (20:00) 4. What Are Our Blindspots In This Conversation? (23:45) 5. How Have We Misrepresented You? (48:15) 6. What Points Have We Made That You Would Like To Rebut? (1:18:20) 7. What Does A Successful Translation Look Like To You? (1:44:10) 8. What Do You Think Is The Solution To All Of This? (1:52:15) **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

Today, we'll be analyzing Dune: Part One, the 2021 film adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic 1965 novel. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, renowned director of Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, and Sicario, this movie tells roughly the first half of the story. It is filmed to the brim with great filmmaking to break down and is without question one of our favorite films of the last five years.

Silent Hill 2 Remake has delivered a new experience to fans of the original while taking great care to maintain the spirit of the original and the result is something that comes as close to perfection as I've ever seen. They threaded the needle perfectly and even improved the experience in many ways. Max Derrat drops by to talk all things Silent Hill 2 Remake. Subscribe to Max Derrat: https://www.youtube.com/@maxderrat @maxderrat Time Codes: 1. Intro (0:00) 2. Max Derrat (1:14) 3. SPOILERS! (7:37) 4. Characters (19:19) 5. Jung and Alchemy (59:18) **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

Localization Controversy | Representing The Other Side Of The Debate by Resonant Arc