RPGFan's Retro Encounter

Abandon *some* hope, ye who play this gameIn a semi-sequel to Retro Encounter's 2019 attempt to play the horror adventure sensation Until Dawn, the same two panelists reconvene with the 2020 Dark Pictures Anthology title, Little Hope. 17th-century witch trials, building character traits, and navigating trauma and guilt all take center stage in this entertaining horror romp. Also, this episode was recorded prior to Supermassive Games registering five trademarks for future Dark Pictures Anthology titles. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomRelated Links:Little Hope on RPGFan

Skies of Arcadia has big ambitions in the second half of the game, and the Retro crew are finally allowed to sail beyond the sunset! With a new ship, their own secret base, and their very own crew to hand, these four foolhardy sailors discuss their favourite discoveries, crew members, and superbosses, all while mulling on the maturity of the characters, the beauty of exploration, and just how many different ways you can bend both hand-to-hand and ship combat to your will. There's no Rains of Destruction to fear, here. Featuring: Alana Hagues, Audra Bowling, Wes Iliff, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomRelated Links:Skies of Arcadia on RPGFanSoA: Legends on RPGFan

Once dubbed the official Retro Encounter game, 2000's Dreamcast classic Skies of Arcadia finally sails on to the show. It's a fickle ship to get your hands on, but luckily, four Retro Encounter regulars are onboard to discuss this RPG all about optimism, friendship, exploration, and adorable space blobs. Will the two Skies of Arcadia veterans be able to recruit two newcomers onto their crew? By the sounds of their discussions on moons, colours, combat, discoveries, and the fact that they celebrate a grumpy old man, they might well be on their way to doing so!Featuring: Alana Hagues, Audra Bowling, Wes Iliff, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomRelated Links: Skies of Arcadia on RPGFanSoA: Legends on RPGFan

RPGFans? Not today, we're not! Here at RPGFan, we write and talk about RPGs almost nonstop, but that's not all of who we are as fans of video games. Today, five RPGFan staff discuss ten of their favorite video games or series that aren't quite RPG enough for RPGFan, in a self-indulgent sequel to a 2019 episode. To his shame, the host accidentally says Puyo Puyo when he meant to say Panel de Pon. But the rest of the episode is a great discussion about video games that aren't RPGs. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Dom Kim, Abe Kobylanski, Jonathan Logan, Steven Mattern; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

What will be the Final Fantastic game among our Personal picks? It's a new year, and Retro Encounter rings in 2022 with a bang, counting down a ranked list of fourteen PlayStation 2 RPGs, compiled from the panelists' own preferences, to eventually crown an official Retro Encounter Best PlayStation 2 RPG from the set. So what's the overall winner? How many Final Fantasy games make the list? How does Yuri Lowenthal factor into all this? Listen and find out! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Audra Bowling, Wes Iliff, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

Happy Last Year! (Good riddance)A year has come and gone, and Retro Encounter has always been more about the past than the future. Four RPGFan staff discuss twelve of their favorite games of 2021, from remade trilogies to time loops to demon summoning to canine companionship. Listen to the end for a preview of the first few months of 2022 in Retro Encounter! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Audra Bowling, Jonathan Logan, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

Three worlds, four (maybe five) characters, and a whole whack of potential jobs: That’s Final Fantasy V in a nutshell! In today’s Retro, our four panelists will finish their exploration of the story of FFV, talk about some of our favorite jobs, and take a look at other versions of the game that have come out over the years. And now that the Pixel Remaster version of FFV is available on mobile and PC, we hope that more people will get a chance to play this retro gem from the 16-bit era! Featuring: Jonathan Logan, Audra Bowling, Cory Tischbein, Quinton O’Conner; Edited by Jonathan LoganOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomRelated Links:Final Fantasy V Advance ReviewFinal Fantasy V (Pixel Remaster) Review

For those who loved RPGs during the SNES era, there was a game that forever seemed out of reach: Final Fantasy V. This unlocalized title was so legendary that it inspired the very first fan translation of a video game. Though Squaresoft eventually localized FFV for PSX in 1999, many still think of it as the black sheep of the Final Fantasy family. In today’s Retro, our panel will talk about their history with the game, comb through the first half of the story, and examine how the expertly crafted job system impacted future titles in the series and beyond!Featuring: Jonathan Logan, Audra Bowling, Cory Tischbein, Quinton O’Conner; Edited by Jonathan LoganOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomRelated Links:Final Fantasy V Advance ReviewFinal Fantasy V (Pixel Remaster) Review 

Husbands should be like Kleenex: Soft, strong, and disposable. Romance, drama, comedy, regret, and... rice? Impostor Factory is a visual novel of sorts that looks like a 16-bit RPG, the third game in Kan Gao's Sigmund Corp trilogy after To the Moon and Finding Paradise, and oh boy does it leave an impression. Our two Retro Encounter panelists love this entire trilogy and have a lot to say about its newest entry, from long cats to imagined weddings. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomRelated Links:Impostor Factory on RPGFan

Remember us. Remember that we once podcasted. Emet-Selch, the principal antagonist of Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, is a unique blend of a foppish eccentric, a world-erasing psychopath, and a grieving survivor. He's a complicated, entertaining foil to the Warrior of Light, and Retro Encounter is going to examine him under the RPG Villains microscope as a last hurrah for Shadowbringers before Endwalker captivates the Final Fantasy XIV community (and around 40% of RPGFan staff). Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Wes Iliff, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomRelated Links:Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers on RPGFan