Axe of the Blood God: USgamer's Official RPG Podcast

This week on the Axe of the Blood God RPG podcast, Kat and Nadia have both gone out for cigarettes, which means that Eric is in charge. Our boy keeps his head on his shoulders and invites Mike Williams of Sharlayan Dropouts to talk about our next Class Conscious entry: Monks! You know, those fellows what pummel things with their fists and suplex trains. They're joined by martial artist Danielle Riendeau, who has good advice for all you baby monks who're just starting your training: The pavement always wins. Also in this episode:

• We say goodbye to esteemed RPG architect Rieko Kodama, who sadly passed away earlier this year
• Marvel Snap is currently the most popular thing in the universe
• Mike loves him some Mario Rabbids. (Or is that "rabid Mario?")
• The gang dives head-first into the Fire Nation on this week's Autumn of Avatar

POST SHOW Eric, Mike, and the Stars of Destiny throw down in the chat over a brand-new tier list: The Top Halloween Candies of All Time. It gets hot, folks. Hotter than a tamale. But only Canadian kids know the pain of getting Molasses Kisses by the handful. Who even likes those? They keep coming back. Smells like witchcraft.

Following the release of Action Button's new review of Boku no Natsuyasumi, we welcome Tim Rogers to talk about this PS1 classic, which has plenty of connections to modern RPGs like Persona 5. Naturally, the conversation spreads out to hit many different topics within the realm of RPGs, including:

• Tim's rising appreciation for Final Fantasy 7 Remake
• Taco Tico, rats, and impromptu Nostalgia Pit
• Pondering Yuji Horii's successor 

This episode is currently available exclusively to our Patrons! You can find conversation timestamps below.  Timestamps

0:00: Intro

11:00: Boku no Natsuyasumi and Taco Tico 23:55: The connections between Boku no Natsuyasumi and Earthbound 28:30: Rats, racoons and possums 38:50: Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Kingdom Hearts, and old developers 1:00:00: The PS1 is the best console ever 1:10:00: Sony's quest to make its own Dragon Quest 1:17:00: Reminiscing about Japan and Saizeriya 1:25:25: Dragon Quest and Mad Catz   1:34:50: Cyberpunk and Mighty Ducks 1:39:10: Who is the successor to Yuji Horii? 148:55: LA Noire and why games should be structured like a TV show 1:59:00: Outro

This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric talk about CD Projekt Red's (overly?) optimistic road map for the future of Cyberpunk 2077 and the Witcher series. Looks like CD Projekt is working hard to repair Cyberpunk's tarnished reputation in addition to making new games set in worlds that lack indoor plumbing. It's a long and winding road that's sure to be full of challenges, and we salute CD Projekt for assuming we're still going to be here in a decade. Always look on the bright side of life! Also in this episode:

• We're really behind on the new batch of RPGs. Sorry, we're trying to fix it :(
• Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM is going through difficult times
• Autumn of Avatar continues as we delve deep into Book Two
• Nadia electrocuted a lemon to go see the 1993 Super Mario movie in theatres

POST SHOW Hey, Paisanos! Nadia and Eric talk about the new Super Mario Bros. movie trailer. Seems this movie might be fun and charming after all, even if Chris Pratt's flat-tire voice still isn't a great choice for everyone's favorite feisty plumber. Eh, I think we're all in agreement that Jack Black's Bowser is going to carry the movie, anyway. Available exclusively to subscribers in our Stars of Destiny tier!

CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 is currently experiencing something of a redemption arc. Does the (hugely) troubled RPG necessarily deserve said arc, though? Well…yes, but also no. This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric invite Normandy FM's Kenneth Shepard for a chat about the state of Cyberpunk 2077, as well as what the future holds for the game—and for CD Projekt Red. Also in this episode:

• RIP Google Stadia, we hardly knew ye.
• Downwell fans will "dig" Shovel Knight Dig. Heh, that's a good one. "Dig."
• Autumn of Avatar continues. Toph has joined the party!

Forget Cyberpunk. It is all about Cybertwunk now. POST SHOW Cyberpunk 2077's recent renaissance is owed to Cyberpunk Edgerunners, a Netflix series based on CD Projekt's RPG. Eric and special guest Kenneth Shepard talk about what makes the series good enough to bolster its troubled source material. Predictably, all semblance of civilized discussion unravels about midway through the discussion and everyone just yells at each other about Star Wars for the rest of the post show's run time. Available to listeners in the Stars of Destiny tier!

For this week's episode we're joined by the very talented folks behind 99 Potions, Fantbyte's dedicated RPG podcast that was unfairly cut short by the site's recent layoffs. In solidarity with our fellow creators, we invited Nere, Michael Higham, Andrea Shearon, John Warren, and Natalie Flores on the show to pour one out for a great website, talk about what they've been playing, and delve into some of their problematic favorite characters.

Also in this episode:

• One more Xenoblade Minute with Michael
• Eric has thoughts on DioField Chronicle
• And Autumn of Avatar wraps up Book 1!

Time Stamps 0:00 - 07:00: Intros and housekeeping 7:00 - 1:00:00: What we've been playing

1:00:00: Random Encounters

1:03:00: Problematic Faves

1:35:00: Autumn of Avatar, Book 1 Finale

1:50:00 - Pouring one for Fanbyte + Outro In the Post Show Nere, Michael, and Andrea stick around with Eric to talk about their favorite alcohol, discuss the reaction to unfinished assets from the GTA Mega Leak, and much more. This segment is available exclusively to our Stars of Destiny Patrons!

This week, Axe of the Blood God tackles the 2022 fall RPG preview—which feels like a nutty thing to say, since summer only started yesterday. Right? Right…? Oh. Thankfully, RPGs help take away the sting of passing time for a little while. And it so happens the last quarter of 2022 is loaded with some bangers. Persona 5 for Nintendo Switch! Tactics Ogre Reborn! Valkyrie Elysium! Not to mention a couple of small indie games called Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. What a way to end the year that gave us Elden Ring and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Also in this episode:

• Mickey is a sad divorced dad in his new Animal Crossing-style game ("ah-ha!")
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3 chapter 5 ruined Nadia's life
• Kat's going to Japan and Nadia and Eric are not :(
• Nadia ruined the Autumn of Avatar forever

Handy-dandy timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 5:08 - What we're playing 40:04 - Random encounters 44:56 -  Main topic: The fall RPG preview 1:12:17 - Autumn of Avatar 1:35:15 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

This week on Axe of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric have a (digital) devil of a time talking about Soul Hackers 2. They're joined by Fanbyte.com superstars Michael Higham and Diego Argüello, who both have plenty to say about this strange game. It appears Soul Hackers 2 strives to land somewhere between the dark, complex Shin Megami Tensei games, and the character-driven Persona titles. Does Soul Hackers 2 hit the mark? Or does it just hee-ho off into the sunset, destined to be forgotten? Also in this episode:

• The preliminary sales numbers for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are looking pretty fine
• The Embracer Group acquires everything on planet earth, including Lord of the Rings
• Riku the Nopon refuses to die for your sins; you don't deserve redemption
• The gang talks about "'The Garden of Eden', by I. Ron Butterfly"

In the Post Show Michael Higham and Diego Argüello sit in on this week's post show, and the whole thing derails in about six seconds. The conversation bounces from religion to literature to something about furries and the Metaverse. Do not look in the dead, cold eyes of the Zuckerberg Metaverse dollar store Mii; it will swallow your soul. Available to subscribers in the Stars of Destiny tier and above on our Patreon! Axe of the Blood God is sponsored by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/bloodgod to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + Free Threat Protection + 1 additional month for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee!

This week on Axe of the Blood God, it's time to bask in the Monado's power! Special guest Autumn Wright talks to Kat, Nadia, and Eric about Xenoblade Chronicles 3. How does the third game in this sometimes-bumpy series hold up? How does it compare to the first two Xenoblade Chronicles games, and how do the three of them link up? Does it matter? Should it matter? There's gorgeous scenery, a banging soundtrack, and an intriguing battle system—that much is certain. What more can you ask for when living the Xeno lifestyle? Also in this episode:

• The Knights of the Old Republic remake is delayed—and then some
• Eric has officially Walked to the End
• Kat gets $100 million for her perfect Gundam RPG and spends about $10 of it.
• Is it illegal to sneak into someone's house to play their video game console? Asking for a friend.

In the Post Show Autumn joins Kat, Nadia, and Eric for a sophisticated discussion about how fighting game mechanics spill over into other genres, namely RPGs. Also, Nadia's into Street Fighter lore because she has a broken mind. And why didn't Guile Sonic Boom his dog? It would've been pretty funny. Available exclusive to our Stars of Destiny via the Patreon! Axe of the Blood God is sponsored by NordVPN. Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/bloodgod to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + Free Threat Protection + 1 additional month for free! It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee!

For the December 2021 edition of Pantheon of the Blood God, Kat and Nadia are joined by Fanbyte's Nerium Strom and Michael Higham for an exploration of Persona 5! During their lengthy discussion, the group discusses just some of the following: - Its outstanding soundtrack
- Its attempt to challenge the status quo in Japanese society
- Its remarkable sense of style
- Being constantly told to go to bed by a cat ... And much more! Then the verdict: Is Persona 5 worthy of inclusion in the Pantheon of the Blood God? Listen and find out! This episode was unlocked for Axe of the Blood God listeners during the recent charity stream benefiting Trans Lifeline! New episodes are released each month for $10 Patrons and above.

This episode was not entirely Nadia's idea, we swear. Really, can anyone deny the sheer cool factor of the Final Fantasy series' take on dragon knights? If you're not, maybe this episode will make you a believer. Prima Games' Jesse Vitelli joins Nadia and Eric as they talk about Dragoons past and present, from progenitor Ricard Highwind to the dragon-hating nerd Estinien Wyrmblood. Pull on your overly-elaborate dragoon boots and join the fun. Also in this episode:

• Miyazaki (not that one) thinks Radahn is the best Elden Ring boss. 
• Give us more Dragon's Dogma, Capcom. (Please.)
• The Summer Game Fest creeps ever closer. What will we see?
• Sony is making bad decisions about its retro games again.