RPGFan's Retro Encounter

This podcast is historically accurate. You can attack its weak point for massive damage.

The era of the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii was a monumental one. The advent of high-definition visuals, the improvement of online play for consoles, and unprecedented console processsing power lead to seven-plus years of generation-defining video games. Naturally, we're here today to talk about the RPGs. Today, four RPGFan panelists compiled a list of ten RPGs that debuted on one or more of the above consoles, and they have a lot to say about them. So which panelist thinks highly of Folklore? How many BioWare games made the cut? How does Final Fantasy XIII figure into this? Listen for all that and more, in today's Retro Encounter!

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

Get in Touch:
RPGFan.com
RPGFan Shop
Email us: [email protected]
Twitter: @rpgfancom
Bluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.social
Instagram: @rpgfancom
Threads: @rpgfancom
Facebook: rpgfancom
Twitch: rpgfancom

…Whatever.

This week on Retro Encounter, the panel is back to offer their thoughts on all the (beautiful?) nonsense that happens in the second half of Final Fantasy VIII. Which one of us prefers Triple Triad over the entire rest of the game? Did our positive impressions crumble under the weight of the many, many plot twists? Wait. What's even going on here... and does it matter? Listen in for our definitive breakdown of the game’s achievements, flaws, and that whole trippy ending sequence.

Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Paul Skevington, Steph Sybydlo, Rob White; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

Get in Touch:
RPGFan.com
RPGFan Shop
Email us: [email protected]
Twitter: @rpgfancom
Bluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.social
Instagram: @rpgfancom
Threads: @rpgfancom
Facebook: rpgfancom
Twitch: rpgfancom

I dreamt I was a podcast host.

On this week’s episode of Retro Encounter, a panel of four veterans and one newbie takes advantage of Zach’s absence to play the controversial but undeniably stylish Final Fantasy VIII. How do we feel about its unconventional design and storytelling choices? Is the cast of fashionable teenage soldiers brilliantly or nonsensically written? What does “Junctioning” even mean? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Paul Skevington, Steph Sybydlo, Rob White; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

Get in Touch:
RPGFan.com
RPGFan Shop
Email us: [email protected]
Twitter: @rpgfancom
Bluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.social
Instagram: @rpgfancom
Threads: @rpgfancom
Facebook: rpgfancom
Twitch: rpgfancom

Quit the idle chit-chat and let's listen to Retro Encounter.

This week on Retro Encounter, we dive into the second half of Persona 5, including all the post-game Royal content. Did this game really need to be longer? What do we think of the new content? Just how long can one game be? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Michael Sollosi; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

Get in Touch:
RPGFan.com
RPGFan Shop
Email us: [email protected]
Twitter: @rpgfancom
Bluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.social
Instagram: @rpgfancom
Threads: @rpgfancom
Facebook: rpgfancom
Twitch: rpgfancom

Looking cool, Retro Encounter.

This week on Retro Encounter, we dive into the first half of Persona 5. We discuss the dazzling style, combat, and the sometimes less than dazzling structure. Who do we want to romance? Does the game still hold up? Does Morgana ever let us do anything but sleep? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Michael Sollosi; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

Get in Touch:
RPGFan.com
RPGFan Shop
Email us: [email protected]
Twitter: @rpgfancom
Bluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.social
Instagram: @rpgfancom
Threads: @rpgfancom
Facebook: rpgfancom
Twitch: rpgfancom

Retro Encounter is the only reason to do anything in this life.

This week on Retro Encounter, we dive into the 2022 Obsidian masterpiece Pentiment, a game about murder, religion and the stories we tell about those things. Is there a right answer? Who do we accuse? Why are Socrates and God on the same screen? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Hilary Andreff, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

Get in Touch:
RPGFan.com
RPGFan Shop
Email us: [email protected]
Twitter: @rpgfancom
Bluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.social
Instagram: @rpgfancom
Threads: @rpgfancom
Facebook: rpgfancom
Twitch: rpgfancom

The only thing we can believe in, with absolute certainty, is Retro Encounter, Jack.

This week on Retro Encounter, we chat about bosses. But not just any bosses--no, we talk about final bosses. They're supposed to be a final challenge, but are they always? Do we even want a challenge at the end? How many bosses do we love that lose to the power of friendship? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Alana Hagues, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

Get in Touch:
RPGFan.com
RPGFan Shop
Email us: [email protected]
Twitter: @rpgfancom
Bluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.social
Instagram: @rpgfancom
Threads: @rpgfancom
Facebook: rpgfancom
Twitch: rpgfancom

...wrong. I am a podcast.

This week on Retro Encounter we dive into the second half of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. How much of the story do we actually get to experience? How much do we enjoy the late game maps? What are our favorite support conversations? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Ben Love, Lucas Greene; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

Get in Touch:
RPGFan.com
RPGFan Shop
Email us: [email protected]
Twitter: @rpgfancom
Bluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.social
Instagram: @rpgfancom
Threads: @rpgfancom
Facebook: rpgfancom
Twitch: rpgfancom

For years, I've podcasted. Now, let those podcasts show their worth!

This week on Retro Encounter we're discussing the first half of the first game localized to the West of that most famous SRPG series: Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. Does the host jive with the squares and the RNG? Do we even discuss the story? Who is the early game MVP? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Ben Love, Lucas Greene; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

Get in Touch:
RPGFan.com
RPGFan Shop
Email us: [email protected]
Twitter: @rpgfancom
Bluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.social
Instagram: @rpgfancom
Threads: @rpgfancom
Facebook: rpgfancom
Twitch: rpgfancom

All you need to do is close your eyes and concentrate. Retro Encounter enfolds you.

On this week's episode of Retro Encounter, we discuss something that has only been awarded once at RPGFan: a perfect score. So, each panelist brings on one game they think deserves a perfect score and defend it against the panel. But there can be only one! Who will be our winner? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Matt Wardell, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

Get in Touch:
RPGFan.com
RPGFan Shop
Email us: [email protected]
Twitter: @rpgfancom
Bluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.social
Instagram: @rpgfancom
Threads: @rpgfancom
Facebook: rpgfancom
Twitch: rpgfancom