RPGFan's Random Encounter

After our smashing Games of the Year episode, we're back to our regularly scheduled RPG talk, helmed by the ebullient Greg Delmage! On this episode of Random Encounter: - Greg and Caitlin chat about the recent Anthem demo. Can BioWare outdo Bungie with their take on the Destiny formula? - Mike gushes about Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition. One of the best Tales games gets even better with all the added content from the PS3 version of this classic RPG. - Caitlin tells the crew about Edge of Eternity, a gorgeous indie RPG that recently entered early access. It's got an interesting premise, a fusion of ATB and SRPG combat, and a huge, beautiful world that feels inspired by the Xenoblade series. - If you're looking for a mobile game that feels like a full-fledged RPG, Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space might just be worth checking out. Greg introduces us to the sights and sounds of this cute little game. - Kingdom Hearts III is finally here! Peter tells us all about the long-awaited conclusion to the beloved series. - We wrap things up with a listener question about how reviewing games affects our enjoyment of them. Editor's Note: We had some technical difficulties with this episode, so you may hear some background noise from time to time. Rest assured, we are working on improving the quality of our recordings, and we apologize for this little mishap. Featuring: Greg Delmage, Caitlin Argyros, Mike Sollosi, Peter Triezenberg Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]

On this episode of Random Encounter: - It's our annual Games of the Year episode! Join four of RPGFan's enthusiastic editors as we discuss the site's awards for the best RPGs of 2018. Don't forget to check out our written feature over at https://www.rpgfan.com/features/go2018/index.html. - With 2019 already in full swing, the year's first major release, Kingdom Hearts III, is only weeks away. We discuss Square Enix's update strategy for ensuring a spoiler-free launch experience. - Other news bytes include Bungie's acquisition of Destiny from Activision, release dates for Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age on Switch, and the surprise debut of Catherine Classic on PC. - We close the show with some important news about what's next for Random Encounter. Featuring: Derek Heemsbergen, Greg Delmage, Peter Triezenberg, Caitlin Argyros Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]

On this episode of Random Encounter: - It's our final show of 2018! The core trio of Derek, Caitlin, and Greg get together for a leisurely chat on what we've been playing over the past few weeks, from Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together to Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions. Okay, so it's a lot of games with "Tactics" in the title. - In a year packed with so many games, some were sure to slip through the cracks. Which ones did our crew miss, and which are they hoping to see under the Christmas tree this year, digital or otherwise? - We wrap with some exciting news stories, including the announcement of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, the official date of Final Fantasy XIV Patch 4.5: A Requiem for Heroes, and the release of a Skies of Arcadia remix album courtesy of OCRemix. Featuring: Derek Heemsbergen, Greg Delmage, Caitlin Argyros Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]

On this episode of Random Encounter: - The beloved casts of Persona 3 and Persona 5 take to the stage in a pair of all-new dancing games! We briefly check in with Nathan to see how they fare. - The whole crew weighs in with their thoughts on Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu and Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee. Don't miss a special surprise interview with the most adorable guest we've ever had on Random Encounter. - The Game Awards 2018 upped the ante with a magnitude higher level of class than in previous years, as well as a huge number of legitimately exciting game announcements. We delve into all of the major news that came from this year's show surrounding Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Hades, Outer Worlds, and the (last) surprise reveal of Joker from Persona 5 as the first DLC character for Super Smash Bros Ultimate. - Other industry news continues to swirl about, including a rumored Switch port for Persona 5, the impending English release of Tales of Crestoria, and a finalized release date for YIIK: A Postmodern RPG after many years of silence. - We wrap the show with a listener question about Anthem and the future of BioWare. Featuring: Derek Heemsbergen, Greg Delmage, Caitlin Argyros, Nathan Lee Special Guest(s): Gwen Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]

On this episode of Random Encounter: - We've got a glut of new features headed to RPGFan this holiday season, including Top 20 lists, video content, and hot takes on the hottest RPGs from...an eight-year-old's perspective?! Greg has all the details. - Derek's freshly back from a trip to Las Vegas for Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2018. We've got the scoop on what to expect from the game's next expansion, Shadowbringers. - Before dawn breaks, Derek spends a Night in the Woods with Mae Borowski, meditating on the game's themes of aimlessness, depression, and millennial humor. Featuring: Derek Heemsbergen, Greg Delmage Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]

On this episode of Random Encounter:

• Like a bolt from the blue, Toby Fox teased and released his first follow-up to Undertale with only 24 hours of warning. Deltarune took us all by surprise. (Note: Even acknowledging what Deltarune is constitutes something of a spoiler, but we did our best not to delve too heavily into the game for the time being. We'll revisit this one somewhere down the line!)
• The PlayStation Classic is out next month. We give our unfiltered thoughts on its game lineup. - Greg's finally gotten around to one of this year's first big hits, Monster Hunter World. How does it hold up at the tail end of 2018?
• October may be over, but between season 2 of Netflix's Castlevania and Alana's dive into Castlevania Requiem, there are plenty of ways to stay spooky well into November.
• Robert Fenner, resident expert of the bleak and esoteric (among other things--we love a multifaceted boi!), returns with his evaluation of Death Mark. A macabre stroll through dilapidated Japan, this first-person adventure released just shy of Halloween. Is it a trick or a treat? Tune in for the spoopy scoop.
• Our enthusiasm for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate mounts with the November 1st reveal of its full roster and RPG-adjacent collectible Spirits. But woe! Why couldn't Chocobo's Dungeon Chocobo have made the cut? Well, there's always DLC.

  Featuring: Derek Heemsbergen, Greg Delmage, Alana Hagues, Robert Fenner

  Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]

On this episode of Random Encounter:

• Did Derek lose two days of his life playing Timespinner, or did he perform his own quantum leap? Fenner backs up his rambling adoration for this new-but-retro action RPG in the vein of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
• Caitlin just finished a marathon stream of everything major in Final Fantasy XIV 4.4: Prelude in Violet. How does this latest batch of content add to the tapestry of Eorzea's ever-expanding narrative?
• We've also got a comprehensive discussion of Xenoblade Chronicles 2's new expansion/stand-alone prequel, Torna: The Golden Country. Caitlin takes charge and Derek pushes back!
• Assassin's Creed moves even further into RPG territory with Assassin's Creed Odyssey. To whet our appetites for her impending review, Caitlin dishes on her journey through Greece as a descendant of King Leonidas.
• Either hell has frozen over or someone at Nintendo is getting a raise, because Derek's playing a gacha game and is actually...enjoying himself?! Dragalia Lost is Nintendo's first original IP for smartphones and it's surprisingly solid.
• Listener questions make a brief return! Greg asked our audience on Discord for their questions, and we picked one to respond to. Tune in to find out which!
• Following news of Nobuo Uematsu's hiatus and the closure of Telltale Games, we have an impassioned discussion about why burnout is a serious problem in the game industry today.

Note: We apologize for some funkiness with the pitch of audio in this episode! We'll be sure to get it sorted out before our next recording.

Featuring: Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros, Robert Fenner, Greg Delmage

Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]

On this episode of Random Encounter: - It's a full house as former Random Encounter hosts Rob Steinman and Stephen Meyerink return (alongside veteran Caitlin Argyros) as special guests to discuss the season's hottest releases! - Metroidvanias: We love 'em, but not every one gets the formula down pat. We discuss what makes Chasm crumble in the face of contemporaries like Hollow Knight. - We tackle the dragon in the room with a lengthy discussion of Dragon Quest XI, including Stephen's experience with the Japanese 3DS version. - Rob, herald of all things Yakuza, delves into what makes Kiwami 2 the best Yakuza game yet. - Does Prey's new Mooncrash DLC surpass the game it was built around? Rob thinks it just might. - Derek can't keep Pillars of Eternity II and Divinity: Original Sin II straight, but Stephen can. He explains why it's one of the best co-op RPG experiences out there. - In the shadow of so many huge games this year, a trio of Aksys visual novels released without making a blip on the radar, but Derek's here to remedy that with an introduction to Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly, 7'sCarlet, and Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk. - The Cyberpunk 2077 demo has the podcast crew feeling a few different ways, leading to a spirited discussion of where CD Projekt RED's heavy hitter is headed thematically. Featuring: Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros Special Guest(s): Rob Steinman, Stephen Meyerink Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]

On this episode of Random Encounter: - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 just received its final piece of pre-expansion DLC, adding Elma from Xenoblade Chronicles X to the Blade roster. Derek's got the details on how it all shakes down. - The highly-anticipated Valkyria Chronicles 4 is out in less than a month, but in the meantime, we delve into its recently-released demo to see how it holds up to its predecessors. - His recent review still wet ink on a virtual page, Greg shares detailed thoughts on Little Dragons Cafe, the latest game from Harvest Moon creator Yasuhiro Wada. - Caitlin catches up on her backlog with some of 2017's biggest titles. Are they still worth playing a year later? Featuring: Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros, Greg Delmage Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]

On this episode of Random Encounter: - It's the beefy Octopath Traveler discussion you've been waiting for! We're careful not to spoil any of the storyline, but be warned that there are some mild "gameplay spoilers" in terms of late-game features. - Chasm, one of the earliest Kickstarter success stories, is out after five-plus years of development. We delve into its depths and discover just how deep it is. - But Chasm isn't the only abyss we're plunging headfirst into; Fenner wants to make Derek relive the trauma of Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy, for some reason. - Don't forget to check out new features columnist Tina Olah's first piece on RPG side quests, available under the "features" heading on our front page! Featuring: Derek Heemsbergen, Greg Delmage, Gino DiGioia, Nathan Lee, Robert Fenner Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]