How Long To Beat

Time for the next installment of New Game+! This is a series where we occasionally revisit a topic from the podcast in more depth for an unedited mini-episode. These episodes run around 45 minutes to an hour. Sometimes our lives get in the way of our recording but we always want to make sure you've got something to enjoy each week! These aren't released on a regular schedule but on an as-needed basis.

If there's a topic we've covered before that you'd really like to hear us expand upon, then let us know on the HLTB forums, Discord, or at [email protected].

In this episode of NG+, Paula, Ric, and Alex - in the first of a planned series - discuss the genre of JRPGs. As well as outlining what makes a game fit into the genre, each host brings five game recommendations to the table both for first-time players and genre veterans!

Music - Ian Edward

Graphic design - M4thew

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:41 - Intro Game

00:06:23 - Foundational Game

00:12:50 - Interesting Takes

00:18:13 - Modern Interpretation

00:23:56 - A Hidden Gem

00:32:29 - What is a JRPG? [A miserable little pile of secrets - Ric]

Games Mentioned:

Ric

Final Fantasy X, Chrono Trigger, Persona 4 Golden/Persona 5 Royal, Shin Megami Tensei IV, 7th Dragon: 2020, The Last Story, The World Ends With You

Alex

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Tales of Arise, Lost Odyssey

Paula

Pokemon [in particular Black/W and X/Y], Shin Megami Tensei IV, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Shin Megami Tensei V, The Cruel King and the Great Hero

It's that time again! Your crew, Alex, Paula, and Ric, are back again talking games they've beaten, retired, and are currently playing. They then move on to the topic of Video Game Achievements before taking a question from the listeners and finishing things off with everybody's favourite game: How Long to Beat? The Game!

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord - https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music - Ian Edward

Graphic design - M4thew

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:07 - Beaten

00:14:40 - Retired

00:16:50 - Playing

00:49:09 - Achievements!

01:06:46 - Pod History Time

01:09:36 - R2D21999's Question

01:25:01 - HLTB The Game

Games Mentioned:

Alex: Zombieland: Headshot Fever [Oculus], Mass Effect Legendary Edition [Xbox], Beat Saber [Oculus], Shin Megami Tensei V [Switch], In Death: Unchained [Oculus], Resident Evil 4 VR [Oculus], Picross S7 [Switch], Half-Life Alyx [PCVR], It Takes Two [Xbox], Skyrim SE VR [PCVR], Deathloop [PC]

Paula: Light and Shadow [Browser|itchio], Unpacking [PC], Poly Bridge [PC], Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani [Switch], Animal Crossing: New Horizons [Switch], Age of Empires IV [PC], Kena: Bridge of Spirits [PC], Cats Organized Neatly [PC], It Takes Two [PC]

Ric: BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! (Switch), The Witcher (PC), Sable (PC), It Takes Two (PS4), Crimson Shroud (3DS), Dadish (Switch), Dragon Ball Origins (DS)

Ric, Paula, and Alex reunite once again this week to talk about what they've beaten, been playing and retired. They take a break from their usual gaming topic, to tackle a game dev related topic: this year's Global Game Jam! After Paula's musings on her GGJ experience and a related listener's question, they finish the episode with the latest installment of 'How Long To Beat? The Game!'

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord - https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music - Ian Edward

Graphic design - M4thew

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:05 - Games Beaten

00:14:58 - Games Retired

00:16:34 - Games Playing

00:59:58 - Topic: Global Game Jam experience

01:19:54 - Question of the Week

01:31:44 - How Long To Beat? The Game!

Link to Shadow Path itch.io page: https://darkestpaw.itch.io/shadow-path

Games Mentioned:

Alex:

Death Horizon: Reloaded [Oculus], Vader Immortal: Episodes I, II, III [Oculus], Shin Megami Tensei V [Switch], Mass Effect 3 [Xbox], In Death: Unchained [Oculus], Beat Saber [Oculus], Journey of the Gods [Oculus], Resident Evil 4 VR [Oculus], Ragnarock [Oculus], Virtual Virtual Reality [Oculus], Zombieland: Headshot Fever [Oculus], Picross S7 [Switch]

Ric: BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! (Switch), Deadbolt (Vita), Cyber Shadow (PC), BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! (Switch), The Witcher (PC), Sable (PC), It Takes Two (PS4), Crimson Shroud (3DS),

Paula:

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch [Switch], Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani [Switch], Animal Crossing: New Horizons [Switch]

Ric, Paula, and Alex have been aided by the HLTB community this week, with friends of the podcast letstalkaboutdune (AKA Dune) and FrozenRoy (AKA Froy) setting up a comparison between Famitsu and IGN's recent 'top 100 games of all time' lists. This topic is bookended by the usual roundup of beaten/retired/playing games, and the latest instalment of 'How Long To Beat? The Game!'

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord - https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music - Ian Edward

Graphic design - M4thew

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:13 - Games Beaten

00:32:34 - Games Retired

00:36:31 - Games Playing

01:24:57 - Paula's Game Jam Adventure

01:47:14 - How Long To Beat? The Game!

Games Mentioned:

Alex:

Judgment [Xbox], Mass Effect: Revelation, Ascension, and Retribution [books AKA not real completions -Ric], Evergate [Switch], Shin Megami Tensei V [Switch], Mass Effect 3 [Xbox], In Death: Unchained [Oculus], Beat Saber [Oculus], Journey of the Gods [Oculus], Death Horizon: Reloaded [Oculus]

Ric:

Cuphead (Switch), God of War III Remastered (PS4), Micetopia (PS4), Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak (GBA), The Witcher (PC), Sable (PC), It Takes Two (PS4), Deadbolt (Vita), Crimson Shroud (3DS), BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! (Switch)

Paula:

Picross: Lord of the Nazarick [Switch], Aviary Attorney [PC],Five Nights at Freddy's [PC], Five Nights at Freddy's 2 [PC], Animal Crossing: New Horizons [Switch], Amnesia: The Dark Descent [PC], Minecraft for Windows [PC|Gamepass], Mariokart 8 Deluxe [Switch], Super Smash Bros Ultimate [Switch], Age of Empires IV [PC|Gamepass], Poly Bridge [PC], Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War [Emulated|Vita], Fitness Boxing [Switch], Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night [PC], Pokemon Shining Pearl [Switch], Amnesia Crowd [Vita| English Patched], Time Hollow [DS], Shin Megami Tensei V [Switch],

Hamtaro Ham-Ham Heartbreak [Emulated|PC], Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch [Switch], Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani [Switch]

Time for the next instalment of New Game+! This is a series where we occasionally revisit a topic from the podcast in more depth for an unedited mini-episode. These episodes run around 45 minutes to an hour. Sometimes our lives get in the way of our recording but we always want to make sure you've got something to enjoy each week! These aren't released on a regular schedule but on an as-needed basis.

If there's a topic we've covered before that you'd really like to hear us expand upon, then let us know on the HLTB forums, Discord, or at [email protected].

In this episode of NG+, Paula, Ric, and Alex pick up on a discussion from their last episode about mainline games and their spin-offs. We talk through plenty of wonderful series and dig deep into the differences between spin-offs in Japan and the West. Enjoy!

Music - Ian Edward

Graphic design - M4thew

Ric, Paula, and Alex are back for yet another week to talk about games beaten/retired/playing. The topic of this week is about series/movies adaptations of game, and our crew tries to answer the question of... why are they so hard to get right? They tackle a question of the forums, and they finish this episode off with the reason everyone's been listening us for so long: 'How Long To Beat? The Game!'

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord - https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music - Ian Edward

Graphic design - M4thew

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:37 - Games Beaten

00:24:50 - Games Retired

00:28:40 - Games Playing

00:48:00 - Topic: Movie/Series Adaptations of Games

01:17:48 - Question of the Week

01:23:19 - How Long To Beat? The Game!

Games Mentioned:

Alex: Death's Door [Switch], There is No Game: Wrong Dimension [PC], Picross: Lord of the Nazarick [Switch], Aviary Attorney [Switch], Secret Little Haven [PC], Shin Megami Tensei V [Switch], Evergate [Switch], Judgment [Xbox]

Ric: Grimm's Hollow (PC), The Witcher (PC), Sable (PC), God of War III Remastered (PS4), It Takes Two (PS4), Deadbolt (Vita), Crimson Shroud (3DS), Cuphead (Switch),

Paula: Cupid Parasite [Switch], Animal Crossing: New Horizons [Switch], Aviary Attorney [PC], Picross: Lord of the Nazarick [Switch], Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition [PC], Amnesia Crowd [Vita| English Patched]

Ric, Paula, and Alex kick off a New Year of podcasts with a return to the regular format: talking games beaten/retired/playing, tackling a topic (this week's being a look back at their performance vs their 2021 plans (see episode 11, 'New Year, Same Crew') and a look forward to 2022 plans), and finishing off with a round of 'How Long To Beat? The Game!'

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord - https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music - Ian Edward

Graphic design - M4thew

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:48 - Games Beaten

00:45:47 - Games Retired

00:57:40 - Games Playing

01:35:30 - 2022 Plans

01:54:27 - How Long To Beat? The Game!

Games Mentioned:

Alex:

Tales of Arise [Xbox], Heaven's Vault [Switch], Overboard [Switch], Pokemon Trading Card Game 2 [GBC], Everhood [Switch], Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition [Switch], Toem [Switch], Inscryption [PC], Unpacking [PC], Picross S: Genesis & Master System Edition [Switch], Monster Hunter Rise [Switch], LEGO Harry Potter Collection [Switch], Wonderful 101 Remastered [Switch], Afterparty [Switch], Shin Megami Tensei V [Switch], Death's Door [Switch], Picross: Lord of the Nazarick [Switch], Judgment [Xbox], There is No Game: Wrong Dimension [PC],

Ric:

Chicory (PC), The Mummy: Demastered (PS4), DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods - Parts One and Two (PS4), The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (GBC), Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate (3DS), Crimson Gem Saga (PSP), Gundam Breaker 3: Break Edition (Vita), The Witcher (PC), Sable (PC), Grimm's Hollow (PC), God of War III Remastered (PS4), It Takes Two (PS4), Deadbolt (Vita), Crimson Shroud (3DS)

Paula:

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (DS), Cupid Parasite [Switch], Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War [Emulated], Pokemon Shining Pearl [Switch], Animal Crossing: New Horizons [Switch], Aviary Attorney [PC], Picross: Lord of the Nazarick [Switch]

After a series of super special episodes, the gang is back again with one final special episode to ring in the new year! Alex, Paula, and Ric discuss the games they played this year and try to choose their favourites! We've got some "serious" categories and a whole lot of silly ones. They wrap it all up with everyone's favourite game: How Long to Beat? The Game!

HowLongToBeat forums - https://howlongtobeat.com/forum

Discord - https://discord.gg/v5F26Dk

Email - [email protected]

Music - Ian Edward

Graphic design - M4thew

00:00:43 - GOTY 2021

00:13:23 - Best Game Played in 2021

00:25:23 - Most Underrated/Hidden Gem

00:34:22 - Biggest Stinker you Retired

00:38:00 - Biggest Stinker you Completed

00:43:20 - Most 2021 Completion of 2021

00:50:55 - Guilty Pleasure or Time Sink

01:00:18 - Most Surprisingly Sexual Game

01:08:03 - Unexpected Game you Loved

01:14:09 - Most Anticipated game of 2022

01:22:30 - Game you wished you hadn't retired

01:30:08 - How Long To Beat? The Game!

Games Mentioned:

Alex: Resident Evil Village [Xbox], Chicory: A Colorful Tale [PC], The Great Ace Attorney Collection [Switch], Ori and the Will of the Wisps [Xbox], Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective [NDS], Yakuza: Like a Dragon [Xbox], Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime [NDS], Tobu Tobu Girl Deluxe [GBC], Sumire [Switch], E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial [GBA], 10mg: You Are Such A Soft And Round Kitten [PC], Umurangi Generation [Switch], Loop Hero [PC], i am still here [browser], Tetris 99 [Switch], Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk [Vita] (lulz), Yu-Gi-Oh: The Eternal Duelist Soul [GBA], Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga [GBA], Gravity Rush [Vita], Myst [Xbox], Pixel Puzzle Makeout League[Switch], Assassin's Creed Unity [Switch], Hollow Knight: Silksong, Starfield, Pokémon Card GB2: Great Rocket-Dan Sanjou! [GBC]

Paula: Bustafellows [Switch], New Pokemon Snap [Switch], Olympia Soirée [Switch], Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective [DS], Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem [DS], 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, missed messages.(PC), Luna's Fishing Garden (PC), Forest's Secret [PC|itch], Catlateral Damage (PC), Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight [PS4], The Banner Saga [Switch], i am still here [browser], Olympia Soirée [Switch], How We Know We're Alive [PC], The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild [Switch], Potion Craft (DEMO), Pokemon Shining Pearl [Switch], Olympia Soirée [Switch], OZMAFIA!! [PC], Dreaming Treat [PC], Timberborn (Steam, early access), Potion Craft (Steam, Early Access), Opossum Country, TLoZ: Breath of the Wild sequel, Slime Rancher 2, Kimiyuki, ABZÛ [PC], Sumire [PC], TAISHO x Alice [PC], Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani [Switch]

Ric: Sumire (PC), Space Court (PC), Cyberpunk 2077 (PS4), The Swapper (Vita) [replay], Devotion (PC), Sumire (PC), Guardians of the Galaxy (PS4), Dadish 2 (Android), Crazy Frog Racer (DS), Emily is Away (PC), Narita Boy (PC), Rocket League (PC), Earth Defense Force 4.1 (PS4), COD: Cold War (PS4), The Good Time Garden (PC), Cosmic Star Heroine (Vita), Nex Machina (PS4), novena (browser), Sifu, Neon White, N1-RV Ann-A, Freedom Wars (Vita)

Time for the next instalment of New Game+! This is a series where we occasionally revisit a topic from the podcast in more depth for an unedited mini-episode. These episodes run around 45 minutes to an hour. Sometimes our lives get in the way of our recording but we always want to make sure you've got something to enjoy each week! These aren't released on a regular schedule but on an as-needed basis.

If there's a topic we've covered before that you'd really like to hear us expand upon, then let us know on the HLTB forums, Discord, or at [email protected].

In this episode of NG+, returning guest Dunedad joins Alex, Paula, and Ric as they unwrap the twelve days of Itchmas. Itchmas was an event held on HLTB where for 12 (technically 15, shh) days, a new game on Itch was revealed for everyone to play. We discuss all the games and reveal the top 3 games as chosen by the community!

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:50 - What is Itchmas?

00:04:41 - 1. What Lies in the Fog

00:12:06 - 2. The Black Iris

00:18:56 - 3. A Firm Handshake

00:22:03 - 4. Crow Crime: A Murder Mystery

00:26:39 - 5. La maleta

00:32:29 - 6. Escaped Chasm

00:37:46 - 7. Therapy with Dr. Albert Kreuger

00:41:26 - 8. Storyseeker

00:47:59 - 9. Bird of Passage

00:52:06 - 10. Emily is Away

01:04:29 - 11. Wandows 95

01:10:51 - 12. Missed Messages

01:21:31 - 13. Grimm's Hollow

01:27:31 - 14. Six Cats Under

01:30:01 - 15. How We Know We're Alive

01:39:13 - Dune's Itchmas Stats

01:47:14 - The 3 Itch's of the Wise HLTBers

Music - Ian Edward

Graphic design - M4thew

Time for the next instalment of New Game+! This is a series where we occasionally revisit a topic from the podcast in more depth for an unedited mini-episode. These episodes run around 45 minutes to an hour. Sometimes our lives get in the way of our recording but we always want to make sure you've got something to enjoy each week! These aren't released on a regular schedule but on an as-needed basis.

If there's a topic we've covered before that you'd really like to hear us expand upon, then let us know on the HLTB forums, Discord, or at [email protected].

In this episode of NG+, returning guest Abatage guides Ric, Paula, and Alex in looking back at the 2021 Fantasy Critic League. You can find more information on the league, including how to sign up for 2022, at the following links:

FCL 101 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHQR9fT3Vo8

League Deep Dive - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WozO5ZcHUxY

Sign up - https://www.fantasycritic.games/league/dd3011cc-8a99-4aab-b97e-3a4b0ae195bb/2022?inviteCode=02bd0429-be02-45d6-90ca-cd87eee9ecb0

00:00:00 - Intro

00:03:47 - Comparing the 2021 League to Previous Years

00:07:44 - Discussing the Draft

00:20:41 - Biggest Surprise of the Year

00:29:47 - Alex's Colossal Counterpick

00:37:00 - Ric's Obscure Picks

00:41:33 - Paula's Illegal Otome

00:48:27 - Advice for Newcomers in 2022

01:01:20 - Abatage's Final Thoughts

Music - Ian Edward

Graphic design - M4thew