WE ARE BACK

and thirstier than ever! We debate issues of male beauty across Half-Minute Hero and Final Fantasy XVI--the former showing JRPGs distilled to their essence, the latter showing JRPGs evolved past recognition.

What We're Playing

01:28 Mark: Sakura Wars--Saturn (Sega S2 R&D, 1996)

16:45 Caitlin: Abiotic Factor (Deep Field Games, 2025)

28:06 GOOF: Half-Minute Hero (Opus, 2009)

40:47 Feature Game: Artis Impact (Square Enix Creative Business Unit III, 2023)

SHOUT

1:03:06 Mark: Virtua Fighter Crossroads (RGG Studio)

1:04:24 Caitlin: God of War Laufey (Santa Monica Studio)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We look back on our collected experiences together, dear digital friends, as we crown our Game of the Year before an unfortunate (and hopefully brief) pause.

What We're Playing

01:39 Caitlin: Miscellaneous catchup

02:38 Caitlin: Dogpile (Studio Folly, Toot Games, & Foot, 2025)

11:17 Mark: Terminator 2D: No Fate (Bitmap Bureau, 2025)

Season 1 in Review Special Categories

18:34 Thanks for Introducing Me

33:04 SHOUTS that Panned Out

37:48 "I Didn't Think I Liked that Genre"

42:28 Our New Backlog

48:18 Our New Digital Best Friend

53:35 Host-Specific Categories

58:41 Biggest Disappointments

1:03:22 Biggest Pleasant Surprises

1:08:16 A GOAT that Holds Up

1:12:56 AMBFAD Shrugs

1:16:10 Game of the Year 2025

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of Mark's obscure arcade favorites is Change Air Blade, a bizarre little shooter/fighter hybrid. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is our latest narrative-focused diversion.

Also, Caitlin has conquered Metaphor: ReFantazio! Let her achievement spur greater and greater successes.

What We're Playing

00:53 Mark: Demonschool (Necrosoft Games, 2025)

13:34 Caitlin: Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero, 2024)

16:48 Caitlin: Guild Wars Reforged (ArenaNet, 2025)

25:07 GOOF: Change Air Blade (Sammy, 1999)

33:46 Feature Game: Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don't Nod Montréal, 2025)

SHOUT

1:03:11 Mark: ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN (Grasshopper)

1:06:06 Caitlin: Human Fall Flat 2 (No Brakes Games)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who is a more grounded, realistic, fleshed-out character--Wario in WarioWare Gold, or any of the humans in Detroit: Become Human?

What We're Playing

01:00 Caitlin: Fellowship (Chief Rebel, 2025)

12:58 Mark: Silent Hill 2 Remake (Bloober Team, 2025)

26:07 GOOF: WarioWare Gold (Intelligent Systems, 2018)

39:32 Feature Game: Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream, 2018)

SHOUT

1:01:47 Caitlin: REPLACED (Sad Cat Studios)

1:02:47 Mark: Free Stars: Children of Infinity (Pistol Shrimp)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Caitlin's love/hate relationship continues with Silent Hill, and we talk about all kinds of shameful love in Persona 5.

What We're Playing

00:51 Mark: Skybolt Zack (DEVS MUST DIE, 2019)

13:39 Caitlin: No, I'm Not a Human (Trioskaz, 2025)

20:51 GOOF: Silent Hill (Team Silent, 1999)

39:12 Feature Game: Persona 5 Royal (P-Studio, 2019)

SHOUT

57:49 Mark: Persona 4 Revival (P-Studio)

58:49 Caitlin: My Card Is Better than Your Card (Utu Studios)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Another horror game, namely Clock Tower, for someone who claims not to like horror games, namely Caitlin. Then, Mark finally tries the cultural juggernaut that is The Witcher 3.

What We're Playing

01:04 Caitlin: Quantum Witch (NikkiJay, 2025)

09:53 Mark: Neon Inferno (Zenovia Interactive, 2025)

21:35 GOOF: Clock Tower (Human Entertainment, 1995)

34:39 Feature Game: The Witcher 3 (CD Projekt Red, 2015)

SHOUT

58:14 Caitlin: Guild Wars Reforged (ArenaNet)

59:13 Mark: Terminator 2D: No Fate (Bitmap Bureau)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're not really doing the fighting this week, we're mostly telling other people to do violence and/or die--both in Ogre Battle from the SNES and Dispatch.

What We're Playing

01:11 Mark: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (Ubisoft, 2005)

13:25 Caitlin: My Little Puppy (Dreamotion Inc, 2025)

21:24 GOOF: Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen (Quest Corporation, 1993)

39:12 Feature Game: Dispatch (AdHoc Studio, 2025)

SHOUT

59:02 Mark: Wolf Among Us 2 (Telltale)

1:01:38 Caitlin: Grimshire (Acute Owl Studio)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We return to the Aliens franchise and the Nintendo DS with Infestation, where #squadgoals run smack into permadeath. Meanwhile, your power fantasies in The Outer Worlds 2 run smack into the reality of your character's incompetence.

What We're Playing

00:52 Caitlin: R.E.P.O.: The Monster Update (semiwork, 2025)

09:32 Mark: BALL x PIT (Kenny Sun & Friends, 2025)

19:48 GOOF: Aliens: Infestation (Way Forward Technologies, 2011)

35:01 Feature Game: The Outer Worlds 2 (Obsidian Entertainment, 2025)

SHOUT

59:06 Caitlin: Star Birds (Toukana Interactive)

1:00:22 Mark: Alabaster Dawn (Radical Fish)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark remains in the iron grip of tactical RPGs, and so we revisit Vandal Hearts along with critical darling Keeper.

What We're Playing

01:16 Mark: Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, 2025)

11:36 Caitlin: Sworn (Windwalk Games, 2025)

16:35 GOOF: Vagrant Story (Konami, 1996)

36:33 Feature Game: Keeper (Double Fine, 2025)

SHOUT

48:14 Mark: MENACE (Overhype Studios)

49:12 Caitlin: Pokémon Pokopia (Omega Force)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Caitlin's guidance, Mark is slowly going through the generically-titled nineties SNES titles--this time it's Trials of Mana. Absolum is also a pretty weak name. Can the games overshadow their unilluminating titles? ALL WILL BE REVEALED

What We're Playing

01:09 Caitlin: Hidden Folks (Adriaan de Jongh & Sylvain Tegroeg, 1998)

07:27 Mark: Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch (Ocean Drive Studio, 2025)

19:09 GOOF: Trials of Mana (Square, 1995)

40:57 Feature Game: Absolum (Guard Crush Games & Supamules, 2025)

SHOUT

1:02:20 Caitlin: Threads of Time (Riyo Games)

1:05:23 Mark: Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices