See you in Act II.

Don't be so surprised; this is the power of will, a fundamental power that exists within everyone. What you are witnessing is simply your perception of it. And you know what? Perception and pain are but one and the same. So... go ahead... Feel my pain for yourself!

The final installment of our miniseries on Xenosaga Episode I is here! We reach an exciting conclusion, but are ultimately left with more questions than answers: Who were Albedo and Junior in their pasts?; What is Abel's Ark?; and why is Shion being drawn to Old Miltia? We unfortunately do not see these answers play out until episodes II and III. In this episode, we discuss the final areas of the game, see Albedo's true ruthlessness, and more. Do it up!

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"I can't believe I just handed over top-secret company info to the Federation without permission... I am SO fired..."

The miniseries continues, as we dive back into Xenosaga, Episode 1! As more questions arise with answers that elude for now, the plot thickens. Was Joachim Mizrahi the genius we were led to believe? Is there more to KOS-MOS than meets the eyes? And just who is this rambunctious stranger known as Junior, the Little Master? All this and more in the penultimate episode of the miniseries. Do it up!

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I believe everyone has at least one skill that they excel in over all others. Its something that defines who they are. Shion...what is it that defines you?

Part 2 of our Xenosaga Episode I miniseries continues! Although we covered less ground story-wise than anticipated, many themes of the game begin to be nurtured and setup for later success at this point in the game. We meet new party members, learn new mysteries about KOSMOS, enctouner the Gnosis in a major way, and more. Do it up!

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Please enjoy this extra episode in your feeds this month as we continue through Xenosaga Episode I! 

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This light once symbolized civilization – the very will of the human race. But what can be gleaned from the light we see today? The people of this world have cast away their will to create, drowning themselves instead in an endless cycle of consumption…

This week, Rick is joined by Chris (Retro Hangover) and Nick (Friday Night Gamecast) to dive into a cult classic from the minds of Tetsuya Takahashi and Soraya Saga, Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht. This ambitious JRPG from the 2000s is a spiritual successor to the masterpiece Xenogears, and shares some DNA in its thematic identity and story concepts. In this episode, we explore the development and its troubles, the score, set a general foundation for the game, and discuss a few hours into the story. We hope you enjoy - do it up!

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No one ever said the future would be easy. But I think we all saw the glimmer of a dream, somewhere in the sky that night. The tiniest spark of hope that we can change our fate. Who could say? That moment has come and gone.

This week, Rick is joined by Chris (Retro Hangover Podcast) and Jon to focus on one of the black sheep of the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XIII. The game certainly has a reputation - but is it earned? In the episode, we go over the presentation, the fantastic score (NOT by Uematsu!), the controversial datalog, and the troubled development. Is XIII worth a reexamination? You'll have to tune in to find out - do it up!

Post mortem on FF XIII in GameDev magazine
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You ever rage quit over a strawberry?

This week, Rick is joined by friends of the show Matt ("Fun" and Games) and Josh (Still Loading) to dive into Celeste, a beloved indie game that burst onto the scene in 2018. Celeste is a beautiful mix of narrative and gameplay, marrying a story surrounding the human condition with some of the most engaging (and difficult!) platforming the three of us have seen in a long time. In the episode, we talk all about the impetus behind the creation of the game, the game's thematic identity, the soundtrack, and so much more. I'm proud of this one - do it up!

Maddy's article: Celeste and Forgiveness
Maddy's article: Is Madeline Canonically Trans?

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Mario? In my JRPG? It's more likely than you think.

This week, Rick is joined by Matt "Stormageddon" Storm ("Fun" and Games, Screen Snark, and more) to talk over Mario's first jaunt into JRPG japes: Super Mario RPG! Whether you grew up with the SNES version or are a newcomer with the (terrific!) Switch remake, this episode will be for you. We talk about the beginnings of this Square and Nintendo collaboration, the "Saturday Morning Cartoon" feel, version differences, and more. With a killer OST by the one and only Yoko Shimomura, you won't want to miss this - do it up!

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More 0-2 Heroes

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