RPGFan's Random Encounter

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: podcast@rpgfan.com

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 FennerQuestions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: podcast@rpgfan.com

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 DelmageQuestions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: podcast@rpgfan.com

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: podcast@rpgfan.com

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: podcast@rpgfan.com

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: podcast@rpgfan.com

On this episode of Random Encounter: - Greg is back from making a movie and gallivanting in Paris (you know, just a regular couple of weeks for a star such as he) and he's here to talk up two games: hybrid dungeon crawler/item shop simulation Moonlighter and aesthetically Western but mechanically Japanese RPG Battle Chasers: Nightwar. - Meanwhile, Peter's digging into the backlog, juggling playthroughs of Shadow Hearts, Pokemon Ultra Moon, and a 100% run of Kingdom Hearts II. - The ubiquitous mobile platform continues to see a steady stream of gacha game releases. Between Star Ocean: Anamnesis, Dx2 Shin Megami Tensei Liberation, and the freshly-unveiled Idola Phantasy Star Saga, do any of them set Derek's world on fire? (Spoiler: Not a friggin' chance.) Featuring: Derek Heemsbergen, Greg Delmage, Peter Triezenberg Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: podcast@rpgfan.com

On this episode of Random Encounter: - E3 2018 has come and gone. We wrap up our final thoughts on the show with some input from the folks who couldn't attend the show in person. - Octopath Traveler is so close! Alana dishes on the preview she wrote after spending a few hours with the game, and the rest of us generally gush. - Xenoblade Chronicles 2's most substantial piece of DLC to date, an arena mode featuring Shulk and Fiora from Xenoblade Chronicles 1, had a surprise release during E3. How is it? - Ys VIII is out for Switch, and in case our three reviews on the site aren't enough, we engage in a little more discussion of this excellent title with a messy patch history. - Caitlin gives us the lowdown on two Western titles centered around player choice: the bloody Vampyr and not-so-bloody Detroit: Become Human. - Shining Resonance Refrain is out...today, actually! Alana's preparing to write her review and shares her initial impressions. - It's a good time for retro JRPGs ending in the number two, apparently. Alana and Sollosi jump back in time and space to Star Ocean 2 and Lunar 2, respectively. - Fenner is back with the lowdown on another weirdo niche game with a super-cool premise: The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa! Featuring: Caitlin Argyros, Alana Hagues, Derek Heemsbergen, Mike Sollosi, Robert Fenner Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: podcast@rpgfan.com

RPGFan is back from E3 2018, and we've got a lot to talk about. Cyberpunk 2077, Kingdom Hearts III, Dragon Quest XI, and more! Join our talented crew as they discuss the best RPGs they saw and played at E3 this year. Featuring: Derek Heemsbergen, Trent Argirov, Alana Hagues, Mike Salbato, Mike Sollosi, Nathan Lee, Stephanie Sybydlo, Liz Maas Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: podcast@rpgfan.com

On this special episode of Random Encounter, five of RPGFan's fantastic ladies convene for a chat about all things RPG, including a deep dive into their personal histories with our genre of choice! Note: The artwork for this episode was created by our social media maven, Stephanie Sybydlo herself! If you like what you see, consider checking out her illustrations present throughout our Fabula Nova Anniversaris feature. You could even do one better and support her by ordering a print through her Redbubble shop or making a commission! Seriously, she's great. Featuring: Stephanie Sybydlo, Caitlin Argyros, Alana Hagues, Hilary Andreff, Liz Maas Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: podcast@rpgfan.com