On this episode of Random Encounter:

• Did Derek lose two days of his life playing Timespinner, or did he perform his own quantum leap? Fenner backs up his rambling adoration for this new-but-retro action RPG in the vein of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
• Caitlin just finished a marathon stream of everything major in Final Fantasy XIV 4.4: Prelude in Violet. How does this latest batch of content add to the tapestry of Eorzea's ever-expanding narrative?
• We've also got a comprehensive discussion of Xenoblade Chronicles 2's new expansion/stand-alone prequel, Torna: The Golden Country. Caitlin takes charge and Derek pushes back!
• Assassin's Creed moves even further into RPG territory with Assassin's Creed Odyssey. To whet our appetites for her impending review, Caitlin dishes on her journey through Greece as a descendant of King Leonidas.
• Either hell has frozen over or someone at Nintendo is getting a raise, because Derek's playing a gacha game and is actually...enjoying himself?! Dragalia Lost is Nintendo's first original IP for smartphones and it's surprisingly solid.
• Listener questions make a brief return! Greg asked our audience on Discord for their questions, and we picked one to respond to. Tune in to find out which!
• Following news of Nobuo Uematsu's hiatus and the closure of Telltale Games, we have an impassioned discussion about why burnout is a serious problem in the game industry today.

Note: We apologize for some funkiness with the pitch of audio in this episode! We'll be sure to get it sorted out before our next recording.

Featuring: Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros, Robert Fenner, Greg Delmage

Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]