Podcasts about video games podcast

Support my work on Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/realdavejackson PAX East 2025 show floor was dominated by indie games, and here are all 17 of the indie games that I had a chance to play! Thank you to the folks at PAX for allowing me to cover the convention! TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Intro * 0:47 Tanuki: Pon's Summer https://store.steampowered.com/app/3218570/TANUKIPonsSummer/ * 2:39 Airframe Ultra https://store.steampowered.com/app/2522120/AirframeUltra/ * 4:18 Ultimate Sheep Raccoon https://store.steampowered.com/app/2923350/UltimateSheepRaccoon/ * 6:04 Mycopunk https://store.steampowered.com/app/3247750/Mycopunk/ * 7:39 BOTSU https://store.steampowered.com/app/885160/BOTSU/ * 9:20 GIGASWORD https://store.steampowered.com/app/1885930/GIGASWORD/ * 11:07 Altered Alma https://store.steampowered.com/app/2190700/AlteredAlma/ * 12:41 Constance https://store.steampowered.com/app/2313700/Constance/ * 13:54 The Berlin Apartment https://store.steampowered.com/app/2280430/TheBerlinApartment/ * 15:47 Compensation Not Guaranteed https://store.steampowered.com/app/2795590/CompensationNotGuaranteed/ * 18:10 Undusted: Letters from the Past https://store.steampowered.com/app/2891020/UndustedLettersfromthePast/ * 19:49 Fresh Tracks https://store.steampowered.com/app/3202950/FreshTracks/ * 22:17 Nocturne https://store.steampowered.com/app/1374860/Nocturne/ * 24:13 Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson https://store.steampowered.com/app/2429050/FretlessTheWrathofRiffson/ * 25:45 The Lacerator https://store.steampowered.com/app/2339330/TheLacerator/ * 27:30 Demonschool https://store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/Demonschool/ * 29:39 Love Eternal https://store.steampowered.com/app/3010610/LOVEETERNAL/ * 31:13 Video Game Trivia, Six One Indie Showcase and Thank You** Check out Jacob Mccourt https://www.youtube.com/@JacobMcCourt for the Video Game Trivia show I was in, and follow Six One Indie https://www.youtube.com/@SixOneIndie for more indie game announcements on May 22nd! Intro/outro music composed by Bert Cole- https://www.bitbybitsound.com Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures)

Support my work on Patreon https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Is it really the most innovative shooter I've played in years? SUPERHOT Team struck gold with this idea, did just enough with it, and got out before things got stale. Now that's what I call SUPER. HOT. Guest info: Emily Merritt aka aspecificegg * Check out No Small Games https://nosmallgames.com/ * Follow No Small Games on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social * Catch Emily on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/aspecificegg * Follow Emily on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:14 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts * 11:07 Story Setup/Presentation * 26:35 Gameplay * 52:58 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs * 1:01:30 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous * 1:02:55 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode: SUPER. HOT. by SUPERHOT Team Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Support my work on Patreon (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) Review code provided by Capcom. Thank you! Monster Hunter has been around for a long time, but has only recently fully broken into the mainstream. And with mainstream success comes grumbling from longtime fans. Is the game actually too streamlined? Does quality of life take away from quality of game? And what about the new focus on the story? All that and more in this lengthy discussion. Guest info: Brad Gallaway * Check out written game reviews on GameCritics https://gamecritics.com/ * Listen to So...Videogames! https://gamecritics.com/category/podcasts/so-videogames/ * Follow Brad on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/bradgallaway.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:28 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts * 15:11 New Player Experience/Fight Prep * 35:04 Monster Fights/Upgrades and Gear * 1:04:32 Story/Presentation * 1:24:12 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs * 1:33:10 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous * 1:35:23 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to Miwako Chinone. Tracks used: * Main Title Theme * Proof of a Hero (Wilds Version) * Nu Udra Battle Theme * Mizutsune Battle Theme * Rey Dau Battle Theme * Suja Village Daytime * Zoh Shia Battle Theme Phase 1- Arrant Calamity * Quest Clear Theme Check out Dave on Pixel Project Radio giving first impressions on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 https://open.spotify.com/episode/2EYHKnevmhrHHa5kTMCOLb Check out Dave on Your Friendly Neighborhood Gamers talking about Monster Hunter Wilds (May 5th) https://www.fngamers.com/ Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Like many of Square's RPGs of the late 90's and early 2000's, Vagrant Story is an ambitious, flawed, divisive and fantastic RPG, full of big ideas that didn't get a chance to full develop into what was planned. What we got was only one part of a larger saga (see also: Xenogears from just a few years prior), a game that stands on its own, proudly displaying all of the rough edges and brilliant ideas for all to see. It made for a great discussion on the podcast! Guest info: Aidan Moher * Check out Aidan's new podcast FunFactor https://funfactorpod.com/ * Find Aidan's writing on Astrolabe https://astrolabe.aidanmoher.com/ * Find Aidan's book Fight, Magic, Items https://fightmagicitems.rocks/ * Look forward to Aidan's next book about Suikoden 1 and 2 https://astrolabe.aidanmoher.com/suikoden-1-2-history-boss-fight-books-2026/ * Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/aidanis.fun TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:38 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts * 14:58 Story Setup/Themes/Localization * 42:35 Presentation * 1:03:32 Combat/Equipment * 1:36:21 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Plugs * 1:45:45 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous * 1:47:38 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to Hitoshi Sakimoto. Tracks used: Opening Movie, Greyland Event Climax, Snowfly Forest, Dullahan, Minotauros, Remembrance, Dawn of Lea Monde, Fanfare Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

No, this isn't the Arkane Studios Prey, this is the one that Arkane was forced to name their game after for no good reason. In fact, that's what got me interested in Human Head Studios' Prey (2006) in the first place, even before I learned what the game is about. So what did we think of this shooter caught between two eras, with seemingly 10 different puzzle mechanics? How did we find a rare AAA attempt at indigenous representation? Listen in and find out! Guest info: Asa GreenRiver * BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/agreenriver.bsky.social * TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@agreenriver07 * YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@borderlineentertainment * Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/BorderlineEntertainment TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:25 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts * 12:07 Story Setup/Indigenous Representation/Presentation * 37:43 FPS Gameplay/Puzzles * 1:04:10 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping * 1:15:58 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous * 1:17:58 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credit to Jeremy and Julian Soule. Tracks used: Prey Overture, Aniwyah Calling, Desperate Measures, Upside Down, The Land of the Ancients Check out Dave on Retro Hangover discussing Psychonauts! https://retrohangover.captivate.fm/episode/psychonauts-milk-mans-delicious-milk-ft-dave-jackson Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Review code provided by Ivy Road- thank you! I think we all viewed Davey Wreden's new project announcement, a "cozy game about making tea", with a bit of side-eye. Is it really just going to be about making tea? You sure there isn't going to be a subversion in there? Are you still reading this? Well, Wanderstop is here, and it may not have the type of subversion that we expected, but it is most definitely not just a cozy game about making tea. This is a longer episode, because there is just that much to discuss. Grab a mug and enjoy! Guest Info: Matt Storm aka Stormageddon and CGDannyB * Listen to Matt's podcasts: "Fun" and Games- https://www.certainpov.com/fun-and-games and Reignite- https://www.certainpov.com/reignite * Find Matt on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/djstormageddon.com * Find Danny's streams, Playlog Podcast, YouTube channel and more- https://solo.to/cgdannyb TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:36 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts * 16:13 Story Setup/Themes Overview * 38:36 Gameplay and Story, Presentation * 1:16:24 Recommendations/Guest Plugs * 1:32:00 Spoiler Wall/Patron Thank-Yous * 1:33:44 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to C418. You can purchase the soundtrack here- https://c418.bandcamp.com/album/wanderstop-fm. Tracks used: Introduction, The Fighter, Unknowable, Broom, Wanderstop pt. 1, Boredom, Trust, Farewell Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

From the first trailer, I knew that Sifu (Sloclap, 2022) looked like a game I wanted to play. There was just one small thing- it released two weeks before Elden Ring, and I was clearing the decks in a big way. No mental bandwidth to get stuck in a demanding action game. And so I waited. And waited. And forgot about it. And waited some more. And now, in 2025, after Elden Ring is (maybe) finished, it was time to revisit Sifu. And boy...it was worth the wait. Guest Info: Ryan Juengling of List Off * Listen to their show, including an episode with Dave! https://listoff.buzzsprout.com/ * Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/listoffpodcast.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:22 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 9:46 Story Setup/Presentation 29:30 Combat 52:05 Roguelike Structure/Route Planning 1:06:56 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank You's 1:09:23 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to Howie Lee. Tracks used: * Martial Mastery * Twin Villains * Crash the Dancefloor * Enter the Gang Turf * The Wuguan * Fearless Check out Dave's appearance on the new Gamerheads Podcast game show, The 1Up Showdown: https://youtu.be/mkr8lo3iSCg?si=Jrp8lv0bNlIUFlBH Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures)

Only one studio out there can inspire the following sentence- the first time I saw the menu UI in Metaphor: ReFantazio, I knew that Atlus and Studio Zero were cooking. They've mastered the art of making menu-based RPGs flashy and stylish, as well as mastering the "Persona" calendar-based structure in general. On several fronts, this is the best game this studio has made, but left us wanting in a few areas as well. Listen in to this deep dive discussion and let us know what you think! Guest info: Scott White * Check out his writing: https://linktr.ee/scottwhite * Check out RPG University podcast: https://linktr.ee/RPGU_IP * Follow on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/professorrpg.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:35 Intro/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts * 10:43 Story Setup * 35:05 Presentation * 46:25 Combat/Archetype System * 59:47 Life Sim Gameplay * 1:15:43 SPOILER WALL, Patron Thank-Yous * 1:17:37 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to ATLUS Sound Team. Tracks used: * Call of Magic (Shoji Meguro) * A Brief Respite (Shoji Meguro) * Castle of Dread (Maiko Katagiri, Shoji Meguro) * Warriors in Valour (Keisuke Honryo, Shoji Meguro) * Journey's Legs (Shoji Meguro) * Ode to Heroes (Shoji Meguro) * Hero's Awakening (Shoji Meguro) * Formidable Foe (Shoji Meguro) * King's Verdict (Shoji Meguro) Check out Dave's guest appearance on Pixelated Playgrounds about Persona 4 Golden: https://www.pixelatedplaygrounds.com/bookclub Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

In my ongoing first-time playthrough of the Metal Gear Solid series, we've arrived at the canonical end of Solid Snake's story, while seeing series creator Hideo Kojima at his most self-indulgent (yet) and most creative. Metal Gear Solid is a series of multitudes, and 2008's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is no different. Listen in to find out what we thought! Guest info: Geoff Moonen * Check out "Fun" and Games podcast https://funandgames.libsyn.com/ * Follow Geoff on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/geoffmakesnoise.bsky.social * Need a voice actor? https://www.geoffmoonen.com/ TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:28 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts * 18:42 Story Setup * 35:02 Story Themes/Presentation * 54:08 Gameplay * 1:18:28 Final Thoughts/Plugs * 1:30:24 SPOILER WALL * 1:32:18 Spoiler section Music in the episode is credited to Harry Gregson-Williams. Tracks used: * Old Snake * Metal Gear Saga * Midnight Shadow * Haven Troopers * Breakthrough * Drebin 893 * Guns of the Patriots * Father & Son * Everything Begins Check out Dave's guest appearance on Pixels and Polygons! https://open.spotify.com/show/1scBiQBcm6u03qSjFkDvzD?si=k1OReY87SRSamyl6bPgiCw Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Approximately 10 years ago myself and the lads from our club started a gaming podcast before podcasts was even a thing. Anyway although being 10 years old, given the subject matter they're still relevant and I figured some may like to hear these. If they prove popular I might even try and get the band back together.

Ever since the podcast started in 2021, I always knew I'd do an episode about Unpacking (Witch Beam, 2021) someday. John Fogerty sang that someday never comes, but here we are, and Unpacking is on the show! Unpacking is a great example of using the interactivity of video games to tell a story in a unique, gameplay-forward way. Through the ONE SIMPLE TRICK of unpacking boxes and organizing your stuff when you move, a life story is told, and it's fantastic. Listen in for the deep-dive conversation! Guest Info: Kate Hunter aka Katerblossom * Listen to her podcast No Small Games https://nosmallgames.com/ * Follow her on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social * Check her streams out on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/katerblossom TIMESTAMPS * Title Card 0:00 * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:26 * Story Setup 11:47 * Gameplay/Music/Presentation 26:12 * Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping * Spoiler Wall/Patron Shoutouts 48:38 * Spoiler Section 50:34 Music used in the episode is credited to Jeff van Dyck. You can purchase the soundtrack on Bandcamp (https://jeffvandyck.bandcamp.com/album/unpacking-original-soundtrack). Tracks used: * Unpacking Theme * Child's Play * Own Two Feet * Friends for Life * Infatuation * Lost and Found * Home Sweet Home Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures)

Mouthwashing (Wrong Organ, 2024) is a rare horror game that gets scarier after you finish the game. Its nonlinear structure, reality-blurring presentation and subtle (at times) storytelling leave you to put the pieces together yourself. Once you do that, you'll find a strikingly real story where the most unbelievable thing is the fact that it takes place in outer space. We had a great discussion on the show about what this game says about certain types of leaders, what "taking responsibility" means, analogues to the games industry and much more! Guest info: Ash Parrish, journalist and critic for The Verge. * Find her work here https://www.theverge.com/authors/ash-parrish * Follow her on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/adashtra.bsky.social * Check out the Insert Credit Show https://www.youtube.com/@insertcreditshow Content warnings for Mouthwashing: https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/1312968 TIMESTAMPS * Title Card 0:00 * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:16 * Story Setup/Themes Overview/Presentation 9:30 * Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 30:54 * SPOILER WALL 37:50 Music used in the episode is credited to Martin Halldin. You can purchase the soundtrack on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/3276830/Mouthwashing_Soundtrack/). Tracks used: * Main Theme * Medium Rare * The Windows are Plastic * Dragonbreath Theme * Heroes Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

I remember reading about Shenmue (AM2 of CRI, Sega, 2000) in the magazines back in the day and really marveling at how cool it all sounded- a revenge/investigation story, a town with characters that live their own lives outside of interacting with you, life in small-town Japan...but I didn't have a Dreamcast, so I never got to play it and eventually forgot about it as everyone else seemed to move on too. But over the past 5 years, I've also become a huge fan of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, and I eventually decided it was finally time to play Shenmue. Listen in to the discussion to hear what we think! Guest info: Luis Aguasvivas. Find his writing and games criticism at https://aguaspoints.com/ and more at https://linktr.ee/laguav TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:22 * Story Setup/Setting 14:37 * Gameplay/Closing Thoughts 39:51 * SPOILER WALL/Thank Yous 1:16:24 Music used in the episode * Shenmue - Sedge Tree (Takenobu Mitsuyoshi) * Hip De Hop (Yuzo Koshiro) * Working Man (Osamu Murata) * Hazuki Residence (Takenobu Mitsuyoshi) * Tears of Separation (Ryuji Iuchi) Check out Dave's appearance on 1 Hour, 1 Decision talking about the first hour of Avowed! https://linktr.ee/tc1h1d Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

When Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (Jump over the Age / Gareth Damian Martin, 2025) was announced, it was a surprise, but it also jumped straight to the top of my most anticipated games list. And while it fulfills the promise of a sequel by doubling down on the strengths of the first game, it also introduces some harsh mechanics that took a lot of people by surprise. Join us as we dig into all aspects in this discussion. Guest info: John Rogers, host of Gaming in the Wild. Find him at https://gaminginthewild.carrd.co/ and https://www.youtube.com/gaminginthewild TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:25 * Story Setup/Themes Overview 12:59 * Presentation/Music 40:29 * Gameplay 49:10 * Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:18:02 * SPOILER WALL 1:26:48 Music used in the episode is credited to Amos Roddy: You can purchase the soundtrack at https://amosroddy.bandcamp.com/album/citizen-sleeper-2-starward-vector-original-soundtrack Tracks used: * Starward Vector * A Different Sun * Signalchaser * Hex * There Are Always Choices * Suncatchers * The Stray * The Belt Flows * Imagined Futures Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

This episode is a quick announcement to let you know that the way you get Duckfeed's premium content is changing. Patreon now offers individual feeds of all of our backer-only shows. This gives you control over what your podcast player downloads, and what you ultimately listen to. Since Patreon itself has this feature, we will no longer be using the individual show feeds on Fireside for our premium content. Those feeds will no longer be updated. Here's what you need to do: You will now need to subscribe to each show you want to listen to individually through Patreon. The process is very simple, just go to the Membership tab on our Patreon page. I've also created a detailed guide for you in the pinned post on our Patreon page. (https://www.patreon.com/posts/122629571) The delivery of public episodes isn't changing at this time. (So to get both the public and premium episodes of Watch Out for Fireballs!, you will need to subscribe to both the feed provided on Patreon and the public feed on watchoutforfireballs.com. I apologize for this duplication, there just isn't a way to handle it better at the moment). Very little else is changing at the moment. You will still get email notifications about every episode we post, regardless of what shows you subscribe to. If you miss the combined feed of all of our shows, what we called the firehose, we're sorry that it went away. You can recreate the effect either by using an RSS feed combiner service, or using features in the podcast app you already use to group shows together into one list of episodes. This feature is called Stations in Apple Podcasts, Overcast calls it Smart Playlists, Podcast Addict calls it Playlists. Pocketcasts doesn't have an option for this as far as I know. Patreon's multi-show RSS feature is still in testing, and there may be hiccups. This is also just one of many changes Patreon is making to make podcasting on their platform better for everyone, so expect more features in the near future. If you have any feedback about the experience, please write at info@duckfeed.tv. To sweeten the pot if this change makes you want to back us for the first time, or to become a patron again, use the code MULTIFEED (all one word) to get 20% off the first month of a new subscription.

Sometimes I think I know about video games, and then a series that I'd been ignoring for years absolutely blows me away. Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War (Namco, 2004) is one of those games. Exhilerating air combat, the best spectacle that the PS2 could offer, and a grand and amazing soundtrack all set the hooks, then a surprisingly good story pulls you along for the ride. I'm truly flourishing in my new Ace Combat arc, and this is the first of many Ace Combat episodes on the show. Guest info: MarcoMeatball- find him on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@MarcoMeatball) and Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/marcodmeatball.bsky.social)! TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:30 * Story Setup 15:45 * Music/Visual Presentation 30:16 * Gameplay 51:38 * Closing Thoughts/Housekeeping/Guest Plugs 1:06:21 * SPOILER WALL 1:18:46 Music used in the episode: * The Unsung War (Keiki Kobayashi) * First Flight (Keiki Kobayashi) * Ghosts of Razgriz (Junichi Nakatsuru) * Wardog (Tetsukazu Nakanishi) * Briefing 1 (Keiki Kobayashi) * The White Noise (Keiki Kobayashi) * The Journey Home (Katsuro Tajima) Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures)

Entering 2024, there were very few indie games as hotly anticipated as The Plucky Squire (All Possible Futures, Devolver Digital)...but then release date came, it got good-not-great reviews, and seemed to inspire more disappointment than anything else. So what happened? And how is the game, actually? Buckle up, because we've got you covered. Guest info: Roger Reichardt of The Gamerheads Podcast- https://www.gamerheadspodcast.com/ TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:26 * Story Setup/Presentation 15:40 * Gameplay 41:45 * NO SPOILER SECTION Music used in the episode is credited to Mike Georgiades. You can support them by purchasing the OST on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2485260/The_Plucky_Squire_Soundtrack/). Tracks used: * Plucky Squire Theme * Intro Theme * Elven Game Card Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Fullbright made a name for themselves with 2013's Gone Home, leading many to anticipate their next project. 2017's Tacoma, however, seems to have come and gone without much fanfare. It is a fairly simple game that may not reach the emotional peaks of Gone Home, but Tacoma is a very good game in its own right. And then, due to director Steve Gaynor's workplace behavior during the development of Open Roads, Fullbright was all but gone, leaving Tacoma kind of hanging in the "forgotten and under-appreciated" zone, in my opinion. Listen in to find out more! Guest info: CtrlAltNoob. Find her videos, streams, writing and more here: https://bio.link/ctrlaltnoob TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:17 * Story Setup/Presentation 10:01 * SPOILER WALL 42:30 Music used in the episode: * Elevator Theme (Fullbright) * Space Station Ambiance (Fullbright) * Is That All There Is (cover) (Jerry Lieber, Mike Stoller) Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (https://www.atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Learn about and support the SAG-AFTRA union and video game actors on strike (https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/contracts/interactive-media-video-game-strike). Whenever the topic of "7/10 games" or "underrated games" or "bargain bin gems" comes up, Mad Max (Avalanche Studios) is almost guaranteed to be mentioned in the conversation. This game isn't tied into the movie storylines, but it does a great job of getting you into the grimy, desolate, hyper-masculine and violent world of Mad Max. It has its flaws, to be sure, but make no mistake- this is a blast. Guest info: Cameron Warren & Jacob Price of The Pre-Order Bonus podcast (https://www.buzzsprout.com/747596) TIMESTAMPS * SAG-AFTRA Video Game Strike 0:00 * Intros/Histories with Mad Max/Opening Thoughts 0:49 * Story Setup 13:19 * Presentation 41:57 * Combat/Gameplay 52:04 * SPOILER WALL 1:25:42 Music used in the episode is credited to Mats Lundgren: * Corpse Eaters Boss Fight * Anyavista New Frontend * Buzzard Attack * Combat High * Back Chum Crazy * Theme Variation Edit Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

A WarioWare's worth of gaming celebrities join Jordan, Andy and Chris for a momentous one hundredth episode!How many energy drinks have *you* consumed during our one hundred episodes? Let us know - podcast@VideoGamesChronicle.comThanks to all our special guests and lovely Discord-ers and thanks to all of you who have listened this far - 2025 is gearing up to be quite the year in gaming, so we're pumped that you're deciding to join us for the ride! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a fan of Red Candle Games' previous projects, Devotion (episode 139) and Detention (bonus episode on Patreon), Nine Sols instantly leapt onto my watchlist as soon as it was announced. However, as it released, I was a bit nervous to dive into it due to its Sekiro-inspired combat. I like Sekiro a lot, but did I want another one right then? Luckily, a few friends (including Josh, today's guest) convinced me to give it a whirl...and I was not disappointed. The combat is smooth and satisfying, the art and music are fantastic, and it tells what might be the best story in the genre. This is an awesome game, and I hope you enjoy the discussion! Guest info: Josh aka DogNozzle. You can follow him on BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/dognozzle.bsky.social)! TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:22 * Story Setup 12:05 * Presentation 28:41 * Combat 43:14 * Metroidvania Design 1:12:19 * SPOILER WALL 1:31:47 Music used in the episode: * Awakening (FFXX) * A Glimpse of the Future (FFXX) * Festival (FFXX) * Crossing Blades (FFXX) * Take a Tour in New Kunlun (Troy Lin) * A Place for Restless Souls (FFXX) * The Path for Us All ~ Yi's Theme (FFXX, Im Baek Hun) * Main Theme II (FFXX, Im Baek Hun) Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

I once heard the original Pathologic (Ice-Pick Lodge) described as "the best game you shouldn't play", which is an oddly appealing pitch to me. I need to see what it is that puts it in that category, ya know? Luckily for me, Pathologic 2 exists and seems to be the preferred way for many to get the Pathologic experience, and I was not disappointed with what I got. Dense worldbuilding, intriguing and mysterious characters, harsh but meaningful survival systems and more await anyone who decides to take our recommendation and play Pathologic 2. Guest info: Jack, or as you may know him online, Piboi. TIMESTAMPS * Allegations against Nikolay Dybowski 0:00 * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:14 * Story Setup 15:18 * Presentation 38:26 * Gameplay 55:01 * Gameplay, continued 1:19:11 * SPOILER WALL 1:36:41 Music used in the episode: * Shaman from the Downtown (Theodor Bastard) * Darkness (Theodor Bastard) * Disappearing (Theodor Bastard) * Archaic Way (Vasily Kashnikov) * Eternal Sacrifice (Vasily Kashnikov, Nick Balinov) * Miracle Workshop (Vasily Kashnikov) * Window to the Past (Vasily Kashnikov) * Steppe (Vasily Kashnikov) Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

In 2024, we began a new community event in the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- the Backlog Resolutions Challenge. A big group of us picked a list of games that had been collecting dust in our libraries and resolved to play them! This episode is all about how that challenge went- what worked, what didn't work, why most of us didn't complete our lists, and any adjustments we are making going into the 2025 challenge. If you'd like to join us, hop in the Discord server (https://discord.gg/nmb3VCydkr), make your list and start playing! Guest info: * Matt aka Stormageddon, host of "Fun" and Games and Reignite podcasts. Find everything they do at https://djstormageddon.com/ * Jared Moss, host of Play Along Podcast (https://linktr.ee/PlayAlongPodcast) * Soccr TIMESTAMPS * Intros/General Thoughts 0:13 * Challenges 33:47 * Break/Patron Thank Yous 53:43 * Lessons Learned/Plans for the 2025 Challenge 55:03 Music used in the episode: * "Tinykin" (Tinykin)- Alexis Laugier * "BRIDGES" (Death Stranding)- Ludvig Forssell * "Catchy" (Picross 3D)- Yasumasa Yamada, Jun Ishikawa, Hirokazu Ando * "No.EX 01" (Xenoblade Chronicles X)- Hiroyuki Sawano Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Dave recaps his favorite games that released in 2024 and discusses the year in podcasting, gaming and more. Catch Dave's favorite games from other years that he played for the first time in 2024 on Patreon, available to all paid patrons! TIMESTAMPS: * Intros/Reminiscing 0:18 * Honorable Mentions 5:40 * #10 13:44 * #9 18:01 * #8 21:15 * #7 26:38 * #6 32:01 * #5 36:34 * #4 41:17 * #3 46:40 * #2 52:26 * #1 and thank yous 59:23 Music used in the episode: * 1000xRESIST - The Orchard (At Peace) (Drew Redman) * 1000xRESIST - The Youngest Looks (Drew Redman) * 1000xRESIST - Watcher (Drew Redman) * Animal Well - Animal Well (Billy Basso) * Animal Well - Dawn Chorus (Billy Basso) * Animal Well - Flames (Billy Basso) * Balatro - Main Title (LouisF) * Balatro - Boss Blind Theme (LouisF) * Dragon's Dogma 2 - Escort Mission (Tadayoshi Makino, Rei Kondoh, Inon Zur and Masayoshi Ishi) * Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - Diving Beast Dancing Lion (Tsukasa Saitoh, Shoi Miyazawa, Tai Tomisawa, Soma Tanizaka, Yuka Kitamura) * Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - Gravesite Plain (Tsukasa Saitoh, Shoi Miyazawa, Tai Tomisawa, Soma Tanizaka, Yuka Kitamura) * Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - Main Theme Battle Edit (Nobuo Uematsu, Shotaro Shima) * Final Fantasy VII Remake/Rebirth - Nibelheim/Train Graveyard (Nobuo Uematsu) * Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Dondoko Island (SEGA Sound Team/Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio) * Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Yokohama Sunset (SEGA Sound Team/Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio) * Metaphor ReFantazio - Akademia (Shoji Meguro, Atsushi Kitajoh and Toshiki Konishi) * Metaphor ReFantazio - Main Theme (Shoji Meguro, Atsushi Kitajoh and Toshiki Konishi, Keisuke Honryo) * Metaphor ReFantazio - Port Brilehaven (Shoji Meguro, Atsushi Kitajoh and Toshiki Konishi) * Mouthwashing - Main Title (Martin Halldin) * Nine Sols - Awakening (FFXX) * Nine Sols - Walk Me Through History (FFXX) * The Plucky Squire - A Very Happy Ending (Mike Georgiades) * The Plucky Squire - Celebration & Moonbeard's After Party (Mike Georgiades) * The Plucky Squire - Plucky Squire Theme (Mike Georgiades) * UFO 50 - Devilition (Placement) (Erik Suhrke) * UFO 50 - Mortol (Gameplay) (Erik Suhrke) * UFO 50 - Play Forever (Erik Suhrke) * UFO 50 - UFO 50 (Erik Suhrke) Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Check out more information (https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/contracts/video-game-strike/take-action) on the ongoing SAG-AFTRA video game actor strike and support the actors in any way that you can. Batman video games got a resurgence with 2009's Arkham Asylum, continued to be critically acclaimed with 2011's Arkham City, and then started to become divisive with 2013's Arkham Origins and especially 2015's Arkham Knight. Since Arkham Origins takes place during Christmas, we've chosen to dive into that one. Arkham Origins seems to be the odd one out, the black sheep, when discussing this series, and we don't understand why- if the reason for disliking this game is that it doesn't star Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill...you're going to have to find another reason. This game rules! Listen in to find out why we feel so strongly about that. Guest info: Mick Davis aka Mick Arcade. Check out Mick on Twitter (https://x.com/mickarcade) and D&D adventures on Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/playoticgames) TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:31 * Story Setup/Characterization of Batman 14:39 * Presentation 31:54 * Combat/Stealth Gameplay 38:01 * Open World Gameplay 50:25 * Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 58:26 * SPOILER WALL 1:06:23 Music used in the episode is credited to Christopher Drake. Tracks used: Carol of the Bells (Joker's Theme), Arkham Origins Main Titles, Shadow of the Bat, Assassins, Winter Comes to Gotham, Why Would You Save...Me?, Arkham Origins Suite, Arkham Origins End Titles Check out Dave's guest appearances on Pixel Project Radio (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/learning-to-love-souls-games-and-fromsoft-ep-127/id1560979870?i=1000681129967) (talking about Souls games) and Super Pod Saga (https://superpodsaga.com/125) (talking about Metal Gear Solid 1-3)! Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

System Shock 2 **(Looking Glass Studios/Irrational Games**, 1999) contains one of the most iconic images in gaming (the scifi horror Medusa-esque SHODAN) and one of the most iconic spiritual sequels in gaming (the Bioshock series), but I still feel like experience with System Shock 2 itself is relegated to those who were there playing on PC in 1999. What was it about this game that made it so foundational for the Bioshock series and so many other modern games? Well, it's a good thing I have this podcast to dig into it! Guest Info: Doug Lief, host of Nostalgium Arcanum (https://nostalgiumarcanum.fireside.fm/) podcast TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:19 Story Setup/Story Thoughts 13:43 Presentation 30:10 Gameplay 41:00 SPOILER WALL 1:11:09 Music used in the episode is credited to Eric Brosius. Tracks used: Medical, Engineering, Hydroponics #1, Science, Hydroponics #2, Operations #2, End Cutscene, Credits Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

It all started with an elevator pitch, courtesy of someone on the Axe of the Blood God podcast- "A sokoban puzzle game with a JRPG story". Sign me up! Void Stranger (System Erasure, 2023) does boast those things, but to my surprise, Void Stranger is so full of secrets as well. But if you want to get at those secrets, Void Stranger will challenge you in more ways than one. Join us as we dive into this one-of-a-kind experience. Guest Info: Steve from Indie Quest (https://polymedianetwork.com/indiequest) and Polykill Podcast (https://polymedianetwork.com/podcast). Check out his podcasts and Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/blinkoom)! TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:14 * Puzzles/Challenges 12:21 * Story Setup 33:09 * Presentation 38:36 * Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 50:45 * SPOILER WALL 59:06 Music used in the episode is credited to Eero Lahtinen. You can purchase the album on Bandcamp (https://eebrozgi.bandcamp.com/album/elegy-of-the-stars-void-stranger-original-soundtrack). Tracks used: Concern, Void Symphony, Gray is just Gray, Right?, Affection Air, Buzzing Boogie, Lax Lullabye, HARD SPACE, Roll Credits! Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Remedy Entertainment have built a sort of extended universe by this point, but 2019's Control is both the piece that introduced a lot of people to their world and the key that unlocked the possibility for an extended universe in the first place. Control's Men in Black-meets-SCP Foundation setting is ripe for creative sci-fi storytelling and Remedy took full advantage of that. Despite some hiccups in the story and gameplay that may wear out its welcome, Control is an undeniably cool game. Guest info: Nick & Will from Friday Night Gamecast (https://fridaynightgamecast.buzzsprout.com/). TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:22 * Story Setup 16:21 * Presentation 52:02 * Gameplay 1:02:50 * SPOILER WALL 1:39:50 Music used in the episode: * Take Control (Old Gods of Asgard) * Counterfeit (Petri Alanko & Martin Stig Andersen) * Sankarin Tango (Petri Alanko & Martin Stig Andersen) * Voces Ignotas (Petri Alanko & Martin Stig Andersen) * Poram Ad Inferno (Petri Alanko & Martin Stig Andersen) * Nihil Es Simplex (Petri Alanko & Martin Stig Andersen) Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

What was FromSoftware up to before Demon's Souls? Most people know about the King's Field series, and the Armored Core sickos have been around too, but they were even more prolific in the RPG and dungeon crawler space than just King's Field. Shadow Tower: Abyss (2003), the sequel to the Playstation game Shadow Tower, was never officially localized in English, but thanks to FromSoftware's explosion in popularity, the cottage industry of Souls creators, and most importantly a fan translated ROM, we can now go back and see some of the DNA that eventually made it into Demon's Souls and beyond. Guest info: Adelaide Lohkamp- find her on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@backonmybs6136). TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:26 * Story Setup/Presentation/Gameplay 17:42 * SPOILER WALL 1:32:13 Music and sound used in the episode is credited to Yukinori Takada, Tsukasa Saitoh, Kota Hoshino, Yūki Ichiki, Yūji Kanda. Tracks used: * Main Menu Theme * Opening Cutscene * End Credits YouTube walkthrough and lore explainer (https://youtu.be/Wd6pmSJkLsc?si=_VADmeR83WfpC1iU) by ElucidatedByFire. Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Night in the Woods (Infinite Fall, 2017) challenges us in a lot of ways. The gameplay mechanics are a means to get you from one side of town to another and nothing more. The protagonist can be unlikable. The story is much more local than your standard "save the world" fare. And it's all the better for the direction it takes. Instead of a sweeping epic, we get a very emotional, personal, close-to-home look at a small slice of American life. And as a result, we get a very rich and interesting story, which is the main focus of this podcast. Guest info: Rick Firestone of Pixel Project Radio podcast (https://linktr.ee/pixelprojectradio). Correction- In the episode I state that Charles Huettner and Sven Ruthner have music credits- they have animation credits, and I mixed up my notes. Oops! TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:17 * Story Setup 10:39 * Presentation/Music 32:34 * Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 45:35 * SPOILER WALL 54:31 You can purchase the soundtrack here (https://infiniteammo.bandcamp.com/album/night-in-the-woods-vol-1-at-the-end-of-everything). Tracks used: * Title (Alec Holowka) * Back to the Holler (Alec Holowka) * Die Anywhere Else (Alec Holowka, Scott Benson) * Possum Springs (Alec Holowka) * Home Again (Alec Holowka) * Angus Story (Alec Holowka) * Mae's House (Alec Holowka) * End Credits (Alec Holowka) Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Final Fantasy VII Remake started this epic remake project off with a bang, and it left us with a few questions, namely "what will they do with Aerith?" and "how will they handle the more open world nature of the game post-Midgar?". Both of those answers came in somewhat messy and/or convoluted forms, which I won't spoil here in the podcast description, but it's a good thing we have nearly 3 hours of podcast here to discuss it all! Guest info: Aaron Angle of A Top 3 Podcast (atop3podcast.fireside.fm) & Ryan Arrington. TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:24 Story Setup 13:39 Story, continued 32:51 Presentation 49:24 Combat/Open World 1:03:07 Minigames 1:25:03 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:32:02 SPOILER WALL/Patreon Thank-Yous 1:38:31 Music used in the episode: Main Theme of FFVII - Battle Edit (Nobuo Uematsu) Nibelheim Train Graveyard Theme (Nobuo Uematsu) Eager SOLDIER (Nobuo Uematsu, Shotaro Shima) The Gold Saucer - Night Out with Tifa (Nobuo Uematsu) Midgardsormr (Nobuo Uematsu, Yoshitaka Suzuki) Queen's Blood (Mitsuto Suzuki, Junnosuke Usui) Fiddle de Chocobo (Nobuo Uematsu) Cosmo Canyon - Sanctum of Planetology (Nobuo Uematsu) Aerith's Theme - The White Materia (Nobuo Uematsu) J-E-N-O-V-A - Tenacity (Nobuo Uematsu) Aerith's Theme - Return to the Planet (Nobuo Uematsu) You can purchase the soundtrack via Square Enix (https://na.store.square-enix-games.com/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-original-soundtrack). Check out Dave talking about Final Fantasy and modern RPGs on Fine Time (https://finetimepodcast.libsyn.com/) and Crossplay Conversations (https://plnk.to/crossplayconvos?to=page) podcasts this week! Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

To celebrate 3 years of Tales from the Backlog, I figured it was time to talk about the namesake of the show- The Backlog. Do we get FOMO as dozens of great games release every year? Do we feel pressure to complete the games we buy? What's the best approach to keep our habits healthy? All this and much more in this discussion episode! Guest info: * Matt aka Stormageddon of "Fun" and Games and Reignite (https://linktr.ee/dj_stormagedddon) podcasts. * Marcus Stewart of The Indie Informer (https://the-indie-in-former.com/). Find Marcus on Twitter (https://twitter.com/MarcusStewart7) and Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/marcusstreamsgames). Music used in the episode: * Pandora's Place (Yakuza 0)- SEGA Sound Team * Frozen Soul (Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere)- Tetsukazu Nakanishi * Yoga (Wii Fit)- Toru Minegishi, Manaka Tominaga Check out Dave's guest appearance on Retro Hangover (https://linktr.ee/retrohangover) discussing System Shock 2! Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Here are the games I played at GDEX 2024 gaming convention in Columbus, Ohio! Games mentioned in the episode: Skate Fish (https://whitethorngames.com/skatefish) Tales of Thisrea (https://mindforgestudios.com/games/download.html?game=tales-of-thisrea) Zakumba: Astraia (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1430350/Zakumba_Astraia/) Dark Sky (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1454960/Dark_Sky/) Derelict (https://nowavesgames.itch.io/derelict) Mole Maiden (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2000780/Mole_Maiden/) Quiet On Set (https://www.youtube.com/@SkookumArts) RA RA BOOM (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2335060/RA_RA_BOOM/) Intro/Outro music composed by Bert Cole- check them out at bitbybitsound.com (https://bitbybitsound.com/) Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Have you ever thought to yourself, "how scary could this pixel art horror game be? It's just pixels!". If so, you and I are the same. And granted, Decarnation (Atelier QDB, 2023) isn't an in-your-face type of horror. It's more of a psychological, empathetic horror and dread for what your character is going through. And it's very, very effective! This is a really unique horror game with fantastic pixel art, sound design and music- highly recommended! Guest info: Jala Prendes of Jala-chan's Place (https://www.jalachan.place/) and The Level podcasts (https://www.thelevelpodcast.com/) & Dave Cox of Monster Dear Monster (https://www.monsterdear.monster/) podcast. TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:23 Story Setup/Theme Introductions 13:35 Presentation 31:32 Gameplay 42:05 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:08:06 Music used in the episode is credited to fleur et bleue, Akira Yamaoka, ALT 236 & AL 9000. You can support the artists by buying the soundtrack, part 1 (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2445810/Decarnation_Soundtrack__Cauchemar/) and part 2 (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2445860/Decarnation_Soundtrack__Rve/).Tracks used: fleur et bleue - Tout Depend de Toi, Decarnation, Grolia, Orfevre De La Nuit, The Cell, Cracks in the Mask, Lizzy et Marco Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Stop me if you've heard this story before. A game that I once thought would be too scary for me to play, so I spoiled the entire story for myself only to realize that it sounded too good to not experience for myself. Add Devotion (Red Candle Games, 2019) to that list. Despite the controversy surrounding the game and subsequent delisting from all major storefronts, this one is worth seeking you. You can purchase and download it directly from the Red Candle Games website (https://shop.redcandlegames.com/app/devotion). Guest Info: Jill Grodt, editor-in-chief of The Indie Informer (https://the-indie-in-former.com/) and podcaster on The Indie Council podcast. Find more from Jill on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@theindieinformer) and Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/theindieinformer). TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:26 Story Setup/Gameplay 14:32 Horror/Presentation 37:02 SPOILER WALL 53:15 Content warnings for Devotion (https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/829192) Music used in the episode is credited to Vincent Yang. You can support them by purchasing the album directly from the Red Candle Games website (https://shop.redcandlegames.com/app/devotion). Tracks used: Devotion, Lady of the Pier (Gong Li Fang), Come on! Have a Bite, A Way of No Return, Lady of the Pier (Du Mei Shin) Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Having broken a Great Rune somewhere in the Shadow Realm, we now head south toward the Cerulean Coast, a beautiful region littered with gigantic stone coffin ships. But the path leading there is anything but obvious.

As a fan of Silent Hill 2 (episode 10 of Tales from the Backlog, by the way), I figured at some point I would need to go back and play the original. Silent Hill (Team Silent, Konami, 1999) was really interesting to go back and play, for a couple of reasons, most notably that I thought I knew what the game and town's whole deal was, but that was apparently not the case in the first game. The other surprise was that I found this pretty breezy from a mechanical perspective, which was welcome after really struggling through Resident Evil 1. It was an interesting trip back through history, and led to a great conversation! Guest Info: Stephanie Klimov, podcaster and editor for Boss Rush Network (https://bossrush.net/) TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories with Silent Hill/Opening Thoughts 0:21 Story Setup 12:58 Presentation 26:48 Gameplay 43:48 Closing Thoughts/Plugs/Housekeeping 59:42 SPOILER WALL 1:08:12 Music used in the episode is credited to Akira Yamaoka. Tracks used: Silent Hill, Led Into Madness, Meeting Cybil, No Dream, Tears of Blood, Dr. Kaufmann, Killing Time Content Warnings for Silent Hill (https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/20795) Catch Dave on the Gaming Memories Podcast (https://youtu.be/p39i2LJSuBA?si=8gAn7bU6ul0jf49r)! Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

There has been a lot of talk about the cult classic "7/10 game" lately, and no game better exemplifies this than Deadly Premonition (Access Games, 2010). It's one of those games where the average might land on 7/10 because there will be a lot of 10's and a lot of 3's in the review score distribution. Memorable characters, poor graphics, lifelike town, terrible combat, fun mystery and rough performance combine to create a very interesting game, to say the least. Guest info: James Tuerlings and Patrick Arthur of Retro Spectives podcast (https://www.rspodcast.net/). TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:32 Story Setup/Twin Peaks Influence 14:40 Gameplay 42:03 Music/Presentation 1:15:51 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Plugs 1:28:18 SPOILER WALL 1:46:39 Polygon interview (https://www.polygon.com/features/2013/2/12/3977154/the-sinners-sandwich-deadly-premonitions-creator-on-making-a-good-bad) with Deadly Premonition director Swery65. Music used in the episode is credited to Riyou Kinugasa, Takuya Kobayashi and Hiromi Mizutani. Tracks used: Greenvale, FBI Special Agent, Found You!, Underground, The Woods and the Goddess, Raincoat Killer, Red Tree, The Goddess Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Sometimes a game has such striking and memorable art that one screenshot will implant that game into your head, even if you never play it. Omori (Omocat, 2020) was almost one of those games for me. A combination of thinking the game would be too scary and having tons of other games available kept Omori on the periphery for a long time, until today's guest, Aaron, played it and kept (lovingly) pestering me to play it. And while I can't say that I loved every aspect of the experience, the story and presentation of mental health struggles were good enough to see me through to its emotional conclusion. I'm very glad I took Aaron's recommendation seriously, for once. Guest info: Aaron Angle of A Top 3 Podcast (https://www.atop3podcast.fireside.fm) TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:23 Story Setup/Themes 11:36 Presentation/Music 30:35 Gameplay/Combat 41:12 SPOILER WALL 59:52 Music used in the episode is credited to Bo En, Jami Lynn and Pedro Silva. You can support them by purchasing the album on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1508300/OMORI_Soundtrack/) or Bandcamp (https://omori.bandcamp.com/album/omori-ost)! Tracks used: Title, WHITE SPACE, By Your Side, Tussle Among Trees, Trees..., World's End Valentine, OMORI, DUET Check out Dave's guest appearance on Pages of Play (https://open.spotify.com/show/3yHrOPlMwAvWhl2Tq153GZ?si=aa2dd3c2abc14183&nd=1&dlsi=a575520bf6374291) podcast! Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (https://www.atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Lost Odyssey, by Mistwalker and feelplus, is almost legendary at this point. A darker, sadder RPG by Final Fantasy series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, with a moody yet eclectic soundtrack by Final Fantasy series composer Nobuo Uematsu and short stories interspersed throughout by famed Japanese author Kiyoshi Shigematsu, there is pedigree and talent behind the game, and perhaps most crucially- you probably can't buy it, unless you own an Xbox console. Situations like this tend to lead to inflation of a game's merits, not to mention all of the "this is the real Final Fantasy 13" memes out there. So does Lost Odyssey live up to its mythical reputation? Tune in to find out! Guest Info: Ryan Batie of Lightning Strikes Thrice, a JRPG play along podcast. Check them out at their website (https://www.lightningstrikesthrice.com/) or on your favorite podcast app, and support them via Patreon (www.pitchdrop.cash) for bonus shows including Icons & Eikons, a Final Fantasy XIV play along podcast. TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:35 Story Setup 16:48 Pacing/Game Length 42:06 Presentation/Music 53:24 Combat/Gameplay 1:05:46 SPOILER WALL 1:45:40 Music used in the episode is credited to Nobuo Uematsu. Tracks used: Prologue, Battlefield, Neverending Journey, A Formidable Enemy Appears!, The Gun Barrel Battle, Main Theme, Howl of the Departed, An Immortal Life Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Friends of the show probably know that I love games (especially indie games) set in "uncommon" real world settings- those outside of the US, Japan and Western Europe. Mojiken Studio's 2023 title A Space for the Unbound is one of those, set in Indonesia. That was the draw for me- an emotional story set in a place that I've been in real life. I didn't quite know what kind of emotional story lay in wait for me though, and despite a bumpy road, the way this story pays off and executes on its promise was truly remarkable. In the podcast we discuss the highs and lows, how gameplay affects the pacing, and much more! Guest info: CGDannyB- streamer on Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/cgdannyb), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/cgdannyb) creator and host of Playlog Podcast (https://plnk.to/playlogpodcast?to=page)! TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:35 Story Setup/Pacing 11:41 Presentation 33:19 Gameplay 41:53 SPOILER WALL 1:02:13 Music used in the episode is credited to Masdito "Ittou" Bachtiar, Christabel Annora and Bambang Iswanto. You can support them by purchasing the OST on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2050790/A_Space_for_the_Unbound_Soundtrack/). Tracks used: A Tales from Far Away, School Life, Inner World, Don't Have Much Choice, Tip of the Knife, The Girl on the Bridge, An Ode to Life Check out Dave's guest appearance on the King of Games 1996 (https://linktr.ee/retrohangover) semifinal match between Super Mario 64 and Quake! Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Final Fantasy is one of the most well-represented series on this podcast, and its anthology structure means you can pick and choose which games you want to play without fear of playing out of order. So this year, I wanted to make sure I played a foundational one- Final Fantasy IV. I expected this to be the turning point where Square and the Final Fantasy team started to prioritize story and characters, and you can really see their attempts here, including some cool marriages of gameplay and narrative that later games no longer do. I really enjoyed my time with this one and was happy to bring together an all-star group of guests to chat about it! Joining me for the discussion are Chris Coplien of Retro Hangover podcast, which you should check out (linktr.ee/retrohangover) for retro gaming podcasts as well as the yearly King of Games tournament, and Jenny E., who is a writer and podcaster. You can find her Final Fantasy IV fan fiction and other writing HERE (https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenneh), and check out her Wordlessly podcast (https://open.spotify.com/show/35W8IFtUkmtxZvPgiDitZV?si=70daddfe31c7491d) as well! TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:05 Story Setup/Themes/Characters 17:09 Visuals/Music 40:11 Combat 52:18 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs 1:07:57 SPOILER WALL 1:18:00 Music used in the episode is credited to Nobuo Uematsu and Square. Tracks used: The Prelude, Main Theme of Final Fantasy IV, Red Wings, Theme of Love, Mystic Mysidia, Fight 1, Chocobo-Chocobo, Prologue, Mt. Ordeals, The Final Battle, Fanfare Check out Dave's guest appearance on Pixel Project Radio (https://linktr.ee/pixelprojectradio)'s series about 1000xRESIST! Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Do you ever feel like you missed the boat on a game? Maybe it was really influential and subsequent games used its "trick"? Maybe you wonder if that OG still has the juice even though you couldn't possibly go into the game completely blind? These were the thoughts running through my mind as I booted up Pony Island by Daniel Mullins Games for the first time in 2024. I'm happy to say that despite I'll never get the "true" experience, Pony Island has a lot more going for it than mere gimmicks. This is a game that actually has something to say, and I'm glad that I played it. Joining me for the discussion about Pony Island is Chris, one half of the 1 Hour, 1 Decision (1H1D) podcast. Along with his co-host Tom, Chris picks a random game on Xbox Game Pass, plays for an hour, and does a podcast about that experience and whether they want to keep playing. It's a good show, and you can find it on your favorite podcast app or HERE (https://linktr.ee/tc1h1d)! TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:51 Story Setup/Themes 12:52 Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 31:17 SPOILER WALL 39:02 Music used in the episode is credited to Jonah Senzel. You can support them by purchasing the album on Bandcamp (https://jonahsenzel.bandcamp.com/album/pony-island-ost). Tracks used: Louey's Playhouse, Pony Island, Enter Pony, The Machine, Adventure Awry, The Island, Escape, Hop, Skip and a Neigh Check out Dave's guest appearance on Pixel Project Radio (https://linktr.ee/pixelprojectradio) about 1000xRESIST! Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Animal Well, by Billy Basso/Shared Memory came out of nowhere. For me, and I think a lot of others, the initial announcement was more of a shock that videogamedunkey had started the BigMode publishing company than excitement about the game being published. Once people got their hands on Animal Well, however, all skepticism or publicity about dunkey publishing games went out the window- Animal Well is an absolute treat and captivated so many of us in the weeks following its launch. It's the kind of game that begs people to get together and share what they discovered, and luckily for me, I have a podcast where I can do just that! Joining me for the discussion is Jenny Windom, host of Geeks & Grounds podcast, organizer and host of Wholesome Games and much more around the industry. Geeks & Grounds is a games club podcast that is fun and insightful to play along with, which you should check out at their website (https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/), and keep up with Wholesome games by going to their website (https://wholesomegames.com/)! TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:43 Story Setup/Mysteries/Presentation 16:11 Gameplay/Exploration/Experimentation 35:13 SPOILER WALL 1:05:26 Music used in the episode is credited to Shared Memory. Tracks used: Dawn Chorus, Animal Well, Flames, Burrows, Manticore, Rabbit Hole, Time Capsule Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Dave the Diver, despite clearly having a great character name, is not my kind of game. Mintrocket's dive-collect-sell-upgrade-dive loop is one that I'm not very motivated by, but Dave the Diver got such unanimous acclaim that I had to take note. And apparently the patrons of the show wanted me to play it as well, because it won one of the montly polls. And this was an interesting episode to make, because I absolutely despise this game. Part of a critic's challenge is articulating why something hits or misses, and usually I'm on the other side of that challenge. Today is a different story. Listen in and find out why! Joining me for the discussion about Dave the Diver is Dave Cox of Monster Dear Monster podcast. Monster Dear Monster is a monster- and horror-focused podcast covering all types of media and the monsters, history and folklore within. It's a great show, and you should check it out by finding it on your favorite podcast app or on their show website (https://www.monsterdear.monster/)! TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:02 Story Setup 19:53 Music/Visuals 42:14 Diving/Restaurant Gameplay 51:39 Gameplay "Shake Ups"/Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:11:14 SPOILER WALL 1:43:12 Music used in the episode is credited to Jukio Kallio and D'Anthoni Wooten. You can purchase the album as DLC on Steam. Tracks used: Deep, Ocean Peace, Diver, Serve Sushi Serve!, Darker Trenches, Restaurant Prep, Welcome to My Bistro Check out Dave's appearance on the Final Fantasy Fantasy Draft over on Still Loading podcast (https://www.stillloadingpodcast.com/)! Check out Dave's appearance on Jala-chan's Place, discussing weight and body image (https://www.jalachan.place/46)! Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

I'm not that impressed. I've seen trees bigger than that tower.

Since Nintendo has apparently decided that Wario Land is a series not worth pursuing, we find ourselves telling that familiar story where an indie developer says "ok, they're not making the game I want to play any more....guess it's up to me!". Enter developer Tour De Pizza and their love letter to Wario Land, Sonic the Hedgehog and all manner of 1990s cartoons, Pizza Tower. That set of inspirations creates a high bar to reach, but Pizza Tower clears that bar by several pepperoni lengths. It's fast, it's fluid, it allows you to create your own level of challenge, the animation captures that older cartoon style, and the music is incredible. Pizza Tower was a treat to play. Joining me to discuss Pizza Tower is returning guest Aaron Klaassen of Super Pod Saga. Super Pod Saga is a topic-based gaming podcast, with lots of fun guests going through topics like favorite metroidvanias, console retrospectives, and much more. You can find all of the Super Pod Network's podcasts and writing on the network website (https://superpodnetwork.com/)! TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:31 Story Setup/Visuals 10:02 Music 21:03 Gameplay 27:22 Gameplay, continued 36:21 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Closing Thoughts 46:29 NO SPOILER SECTION Music used in the episode is credited to Post Elvis, Ronan "Mr. Sauceman" de Castel and ClascyJitto. You can support the artists by purchasing the album on Bandcamp (https://ronandecastel.bandcamp.com/album/pizza-tower-soundtrack)! Tracks used: Pizza Deluxe, Time for a Smackdown, Dungeon Freakshow, It's Pizza Time!, Oregano Mirage, Hot Spaghetti, Mondays Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

I am FINALLY caught up with Ryu Ga Gotoku and Sega's Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise, and let me tell you, it feels great to play the games as they release now. This time, in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Ichiban, Kiryu and friends take on the streets of Honolulu. This episode talks about the new story, the unique logistical challenge that the non-Japanese setting presented, giant sharks, baby fetish men making snow, and much more. Joining me for the discussion is DeadbeatPunk, the nicest man on the internet and host of WTFDYW?! podcast. Each episode of WTFDYW?! is a half hour topic discussion about something in particular that the guest wants, whether it be talking about a particular game or type of game, a TV show or a band. It's always a fun listen and it respects your time, and you can find it by going to this website (https://wtfdyw.buzzsprout.com/). TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:49 Story Setup 13:50 Presentation 42:42 Gameplay/Combat 45:58 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:04:13 SPOILER WALL 1:09:06 Music featured in the episode is credited to Chihiro Aoki, Keitaro Hanada, Hyd Lunch, Hidenori Shoji, Yuri Fukuda, Saori Yoshida, 83key, and Rintaro Soma. Tracks used: Hawaiian Sunshine, Yokohama Sunset, Crashing Waves, Judgement -Shinpan- Hero Spec Edition, The Oncoming Storm, Dondoko Island, Apathy 2, Eternal Warrior, The Endless World, The Epic Remains, Vacation Ends Check out Dave's guest appearance on the Boss Rush Podcast (https://bossrush.net/)! Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Continuing along my journey of playing Konami and Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid series, next up is Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. This is the one that is most often held up as the greatest in the series, and I can absolutely see why. It's not without flaws- it's still clunky to play and continues the trend of no Metal Gear Solid game having normal pacing, but I greatly enjoyed my experience with it. We also discussed some things we would like to see in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta remake. Joining me for this discussion is Katie Lesperance of Left Behind Game Club and Cutscenes: A Video Game Movie & TV Podcast. Both of those shows are worth your time if you like the pitch, and you can find them both on your favorite podcast app or by following these links: Left Behind Game Club (https://plnk.to/leftbehind?to=page) Cutscenes (https://linktr.ee/cutscenes_pod) TIMESTAMPS Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:52 Story Setup/Theme Intros/Male Gaze/Pacing 14:49 Presentation 41:17 Stealth/Survival Gameplay 48:18 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:17:38 SPOILER WALL 1:26:17 Music used in the episode is credited to Harry Gregson-Williams and Norihiko Hibino. Tracks used: Battle in the Jungle, Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid Main Theme, Virtuous Mission, Battle in the Jungle, Salty Catfish, The Boss "Snake Eater", Debriefing, Metal Gear Solid Main Theme "Reprise" Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

It's been a week since Elden Ring's expasion, Shadow of the Erdtree, released to everyone. We've been hard at work finishing the game and planning out the next season of Bonfireside Chat, and we wanted to take this opportunity to give you our impressions after we both finished our first playthrough. It's good! We have a lot to talk about. This episode doesn't contain story spoilers, but please take caution if you're extremely sensitive to knowing anything about these games before you play them. We can't talk about the game without talking about the game. Additionally, this episode is free for everyone! Please consider backing our Patreon so you can get not only the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree episodes, but a huge backlog of our other work. If you already back us, please spread this around to anyone you know who might be interested! We will have news about when the season will debut soon. Thank you so much for your support!