If this wasn't an RPG podcast we could have talked about Ace Combat the entire time. But luckily for you it IS an RPG podcast so Eric, Nadia, Victor, and special guest Len Hafer discuss all their most-anticipated RPGs of 2026 (and possibly beyond)! From the newest Fire Emblem to re-releases of GBA cult-classics, from Inaba to Singapore, from tactics to action; it's all here, baby, on this very futuristic episode of Axe of the Blood God!

Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com

Also in this episode:

First person to correctly guess what picture Victor put in chat during the Monster Hunter Stories 3 segment gets a shout-out on the next episode

But which part of the Divinity trailer is the grossest?

How to get into Ys

Anime Music Videos

Note: Microsoft and the Xbox brand remain subjects of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement for their complicity in the ongoing apartheid and genocide of Palestine. In the interest of journalism we've chosen to cover Microsoft but encourage you to visit https://www.bdsmovement.net/microsoft for more information.

Timestamps:

8:32 - Main Topic - Hidden Gems of 2025

1:29:26 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]

A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]

Welcome to VA-11 HALL-A - [VA-11 HALL-A]

Games Mentioned in this Episode:

Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy

.45 Parabellum Bloodhound

Monster Hunter Stories 3

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave

Persona 4 Revival

Final Fantasy XIV 8.0: Noonballoon

Dragon Quest VII ReImagined

Zero Parades: For Dead Spies

Divinity

Varsapura

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales

Code Vein II

Blood of the Dawnwalker

Mina The Hollower

Sigma Star Saga DX

Pokopia

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter

Big Walk

Terra Invicta

Abyss X Zero

Duskbloods

Queen's Domain

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve

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It's Been A Good Year For Games™ and Nadia, Eric, and Victor are ready to decide just how good. From the biggest smash hits like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to the pluckiest indie darlings like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, we're covering it all!
So place some bets on your favourite RPGs of the year and warm up your vocal chords to yell at your phone; It's the 2025 Axe of the Blood God Awards!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com

Also in this episode:

Literally nothing else. See below for the categories and see below that for the lists of nominees.

Note: Microsoft and the Xbox brand remain subjects of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement for their complicity in the ongoing apartheid and genocide of Palestine. In the interest of journalism we've chosen to cover Microsoft but encourage you to visit https://www.bdsmovement.net/microsoft for more information.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Main Topic - The Blood God Awards!

3:28 - Favourite Blood God Moment

8:08 - Best Non-RPG

12:48 - Best Art Direction

19:12 - Best Innovation

28:40 - Best Revival

38:56 - Best Menu Screen

45:52 - Best Moment

56:08 - Coolest Move

1:02:56 - Best Combat System

1:15:44 - Best Music

1:21:08 - Best Party Member

1:29:20 - Best RPG of 2025

1:16:16 - Random Encounters

1:40:16 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Awards Nominees:

Favourite Blood God Moment:
- Kat's Sendoff
- Not Eric Playing Final Fantasy 6 lol
- The Gonster
- History of Sound Novels
- Victor liking sexy ladies

Best Non-RPG:
- Blue Prince
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Shadow Labyrinth
- Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Art Direction:
- Stray Children
- Artis Impact
- Hades 2
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Best Innovation:
- The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy
- Elden Ring: Nightreign
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Best Revival:
- Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
- Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D
- Raidou Remastered
- Tokimeki Memorial: forever with you - emotional
- Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles

Best Menu Screen:
- Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition
- Digimon Story: Time Stranger
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Not Persona 3 Reload
- Citizen Sleeper 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles

Best Moment:
- Processing Grief - The Promise of Tomorrow - Patch 7.3 - Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail
- End of Act 1 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- End of Chapter 12 - Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition
- Grinding for Advanced Classes - Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles
- The Gommage - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Coolest Move:
- Throw Rock - Final Fantasy Tactics
- Elemental Genesis - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Giga Slash - Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D

Best Combat:
- Raidou Remastered
- Citizen Sleeper 2
- Octopath Traveler 0
- Demonschool
- The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy
- Elden Ring: Nightreign
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Best Music:
- Octopath Traveler 0
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hades 2
- Into the Mist - Patch 7.4 - Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
- Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

Best Party Member:
- Estelle Bright - Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
- Elma - Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition
- Susie - Deltarune
- Maelle - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

RPG of the Year:
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- The Hundred Line Last Defense Academy
- Hades 2
- Quartet
- Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
- Demonschool
- The First Berserker: Khazan
- Fantasy Life i: The Girls Who Steals Time
- Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
- Pokemon Legends Z-A
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Octopath Traveler II
- Kingdom of the Dump
- Shrine's Legacy
- Citizen Sleeper 2
- Elden Ring: Nightreign
- Deltarune
- Everhood 2
- Avowed
Further Reading:
2024 Sharlayan Dropouts Valentione's Day Special
Music in this Episode:
Oasis in the 100 - The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy

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Like a cave behind a waterfall or a treasure chest just out of the camera's view, so to will these games make you feel special just by the nature of finding them. Some of 2025's best RPG experiences are tucked away in the corners of your local digital storefront but luckily Eric, Nadia, Victor, and special guest Lucas White are here to point you in the right direction. Whether you're looking for a mystery dungeon, a first-person dungeon crawl, or something with a bold art direction like you've never seen; this list will have something for you to cap off your year!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com

Also in this episode:

Don't support retro handhelds that perpetuate the military industrial complex

Larian under fire for use of genAI

Falcom under fire for use of genAI

Update on Horses

League of Legends 2?

Note: Microsoft and the Xbox brand remain subjects of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement for their complicity in the ongoing apartheid and genocide of Palestine. In the interest of journalism we've chosen to cover Microsoft but encourage you to visit https://www.bdsmovement.net/microsoft for more information.

Timestamps:

5:36 - Main Topic - Hidden Gems of 2025

1:16:16 - Random Encounters

1:40:16 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]

Pub - [Lunar Knights]

Adventurer's Guild - [Wizardry Variants: Daphne]

Games Mentioned in this Episode:

Shujinkou

Romancing SaGa Minstrel's Song Remastered International

Ys: The Oath in Felghana

Road to Empress

Crescent Tower

Angeline Era

Capcom Picross

Battle Suit Aces

House of Necrosis

Lunacid: Tears of the Moon

Suikoden I & II Remaster

Sunderfolk

Artis Impact

Look Outside

Wizardy Variants: Daphne

Baroque-ya

Quartet

OFF

He Is Coming

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Wagotabi

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Curl up with a hot cup of coffee (or did I lie and it's actually cold?) and warm up by the agidyne+3 because it's time to discuss our favourite frosty friends in RPGs. From ice-based monsters to wielders of frost magicks, it's the guys (of any gender) that keep things cool. Plus, the Keighleys have come and gone and it's our journalistic duty to cover them. What was announced, who won, and why it's all a frustrating ordeal to think about. It's Cold Guys and Hot Takes here on a very chilly episode of Axe of the Blood God!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com

Also in this episode:

Which Shiva scissors the most?

Let's WendiGOOOOOO!

Why we love to hate The Game Awards

Kat Bailey Presents Divinity

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Sweeps

Timestamps:

9:20 - Main Topic - Cold Guys

1:02:32 - Random Tavern Encounters

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]

Pub - [Lunar Knights]

A Snow Light - [Tales of Symphonia]

Jingle Bells - [Linda^3]

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With a name like "Wishvale" there's no way that town wasn't going to get torched at the beginning of an RPG.
Does this adaptation of a gacha mobage manage to sell itself as a standalone single-player console RPG? Eric, Nadia, and special guest Jesse Vitelli are here to discuss Octopath Traveler 0 and whether it can come in under the wire as a contender for RPG of the Year. All this and so much more on this episode of Axe of the Blood God!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com

Also in this episode:

Missed opportunities with character skits

Final Fantasy XIV Patch 7.4

Promise Mascot Agency

Metroid Prime 4

Timestamps:

15:04 - Main Topic - Octopath Traveler 0

1:00:00 - Random Encounters - FFXIV Patch 7.4

1:17:42 - Random Encounters - Promise Mascot Agency

1:24:46 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]

Pub - [Lunar Knights]

A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]

Battle 1 - [Octopath Traveler 16-Bit Arrangements]

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Happy American Thanksgiving! We're taking the week off but as a very special treat we're pulling one of our favourite Pantheon episodes out from behind the paywall. To celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary it's our deep-dive into Sakura Wars for the Sega Saturn! If you can find 3 entire hours to sneak away from your family this Thanksgiving, it's a rollercoaster ride of emotions and packed with history and context for one of Sega's most important franchises. All the original show notes, including the further reading, are included below so please enjoy this blooming episode of Pantheon of the Blood God!
-------------
For our $10-and-up patrons, it's the longest Pantheon episode yet. Sakura Wars never came out in the West but its massive success in Japan in the late 90s and early 2000s gives it an often-unseen influence on RPGs. Can this forgotten SEGA franchise surpass the language barrier and make its way into the Pantheon?

We talk about:

For the last time, it's not a visual novel

The history of western theatre in Japan

Subversions of gender essentialism

The single set of footprints in the sand is when Sakura Wars was carrying the Saturn and also fighting Satan.

Further Reading:
The Origin of Visual Novels - Bowl of Lentils
https://youtu.be/7wOtv-J7tOI?si=tRyGSp0Hzd1Yyc4r
25 Years With an Invisible Elephant in the Room - Tom James
https://freelansations.medium.com/25-years-with-an-invisible-elephant-in-the-room-6e5402c93960
Skies of Arcadia 2019 Developer Interview
https://youtu.be/BPngEZ80xnU?si=jMX2dffTcaR0BaS1
Sakura Wars Retrospective Playlist - Matt B
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFMXcpj1mOa7AYfYPMZ80LzAwE3zl-ftV
Sakura Wars - Kimimi (not mentioned in the episode but good coverage of the series)
https://kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com/sakura-wars-corner/
Timestamps:

6:56 - Our History with Sakura Wars

18:00 - Development and History

2:08:00 - SPOILERS BEGIN

2:11:00 - SPOILERS END

2:38:48 - Verdict

Music Used in This Episode:

Move Out! - [Sakura Wars]

Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan - [Sakura Wars]

Blooming Maidens - [Sakura Wars]

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Call us Hamburger Helper because this week we're cooking with beef!
Eric, Nadia, and special guest John Learned are here to discuss only the rawest slabs of DPS meat. What's appealing about the unga bunga and how does it fit into the party composition? Get ready for a list full of himbos and fur bikinis!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com

Also in this episode:

Lord of the Rings tangents

Steins;Gate

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Demonschool

Timestamps:

8:00 Main Topic - The Beefy Boys

28:36 - Surprise Eric Pit

1:17:42 - Random Encounters

1:17:20 - The Tavern - Age of Imprisonment and Demonschool

1:42:56 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]

Pub - [Lunar Knights]

A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]

Road Taken - [Fire Emblem Fates]

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I'm pulling a Retronauts and calling this "Part One" because we barely even got around to talking about the games themselves; instead, Victor, Eric, and Nadia wax philosophical about the seemingly-universal appeal of card games, the stories that can be told with a deck of cards, and how they fit perfectly into the systems and structure of both tabletop games and video games. Maybe in Part Two we'll talk about actual specific video games. Maybe Part Two will be the upcoming Mega Man Battle Network 2 Pantheon episode! Who can say? Go and get a tarot reading and find out!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com

Also in this episode:

Corpse Party cancelled

Octopath Traveler 0 Impressions

Canadian Cooking Shows and Human Anatomy

Timestamps:

6:20 Main Topic - Card-Based RPGs

26:44 - History of Decks of Cards

1:17:42 - Random Encounters

1:21:12 - The Tavern - Octopath Traveler 0 Impressions

1:30:40 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]

Pub - [Lunar Knights]

A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]

The Valedictory Elegy (for guitar) - [Baten Kaitos Origins]

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May the Falz be with you!
Award-winning creator of the Phantasy Star Tabletop RPG, Rich Lescouflair, joins Victor for an in-depth interview all about adapting a beloved JRPG into tabletop form, the joys of freeing oneself from the shackles of narrative canon, and why Phantasy Staar Online Episode III: CARD Recolution actually kicks ass.
This is one multiplayer Phantasy Star that doesn't require a Hunter's License!
Plus, Nadia, Eric, and Victor address why a 'Good Year For Games' isn't always a good year for the people who make them. All that and more on this episode of Axe of the Blood God!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com

Skydawn Games:
https://skydawngames.com/

Liz Bushouse's Comparison of Phantasy Star Scripts:
https://lizbushouse.com/phantasy-star-1-script-comparison-sega-ages-gba-part-1/

SkysNotTheLimit Phantasy Star Online Lore Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/feed/subscriptions/UCUKqjgQUXrAGlQ35d4Aqn4Q

Tom's Bluesky Thread About the Importance of Square's Human QA:
https://bsky.app/profile/iiotenki.bsky.social/post/3m4yqll6bdk2h

Also in this episode:

Layoffs at Square Enix and QA being replaced by AI

Happy N7 Day! Mass Effect is definitely still alive!

The Game Awards confirms the Future Class is gone

Exciting updates to Final Fantasy XI

Hyrule Warriors, and Zelda's history of busty villainnesses

Timestamps:

8:56 - Main Topic - Phantasy Star Tabletop RPG Interview w/ Rich Lescouflair

1:16:18 - Random Encounters

1:41:58 - The Tavern - Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

1:56:00 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Rune - [Phantasy Star IV]

Valentine - [Phantasy Star Online]

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]

Pub - [Lunar Knights]

A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]

Chaotic Bar - [Phantasy Star Online]

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A podcast draws near!
Eric, Nadia, and special guest Lucas White are here to discuss the latest Dragon Quest HD2D remake(s)! Is this collection of the first two entires in the seminal series a must-play or should you puff-puff pass?

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com

Contribute to Jen's Gofundme:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jen-recover-from-mg-crisis

Nadia's Review:
https://gameinformer.com/review/dragon-quest-i-ii-hd-2d-remake/level-up-and-up

Lucas' Review:
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146558/dragon-quest-1-2-hd-2d-remake-review-score

Also in this episode:

What's the current state of Dragon Quest?

We give Naoki Ikushima his flowers

The Seance of Blake Manor

New episodes of Dispatch

Artis Impact

Simogo Legacy Collection

Final Fantasy House

Timestamps:

8:48 Main Topic - Dragon Quest I&II HD2D

57:44 - Random Encounters

59:12 - The Tavern - Pokemon Hate

1:32:48 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]

Pub - [Lunar Knights]

A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]

Settings Menu (Intermezzo I) - [Theathrythm Dragon Quest]

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