Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon Two podcasters entered the room on a collision course, one with a backlog the size of a mobster's rap sheet, the other with one foot in the past. There was only one way out of this mess- one podcast to end them all. The subject was an old friend, if you consider a man out of options a friend. A man with a thirst for revenge that nothing could quench- Max Payne. Guest info: Nomad (The Retro Wildlands) Listen to The Retro Wildlands https://linktr.ee/retrowildlands Check out the Superpod Network https://superpodnetwork.com/ Follow Nomad on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/retrowildlands.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:32 Intros 5:24 Our Histories with Remedy and Max Payne 10:36 Opening Thoughts About Max Payne 16:00 Story Setup/Revenge Themes 23:00 Neo-Noir Storytelling and Presentation 32:25 Remake Talk 34:25 Music 38:22 Combat 52:02 Other Gameplay 1:00:23 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:08:13 The Retro Wildlands Plugs 1:15:11 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:16:35 Spoiler Section- Plot Twists and Mysteries 1:25:18 Spoiler Section- Revenge and Vigilantism Music used in the episode is credited to Kärtsy Hatakka and Kimmo Kajasto. Tracks used: Max Payne Theme, Graphic Novel, Whack Him, Mr. Big, Max Payne Theme (Short Version) Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon As a lifelong Indiana Jones agnostic, there was no way that MachineGames would make an Indiana Jones game I would care about, right? Right? Well, it certainly looked that way when the first gameplay trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle dropped. But then I started hearing my activation phrases start to bounce around- "this is like Hitman", "this is like Dishonored", so I knew I had to give it a try. And boy am I glad that I did! Guest info: Dan of The Greatest Story Ever Played Check out the podcast https://linktr.ee/thegreateststoryeverplayed Follow Dan on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/storyeverpod.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:36 Intros 3:33 Personal Histories with Indiana Jones and The Great Circle 7:55 Opening Thoughts 11:33 Story Setup and Troy Baker as Indiana Jones 16:35 A Great Villain and Supporting Cast 24:54 Music and Visual Presentation 34:36 Combat and Stealth 48:28 Side Quests, Exploration and Level Design 1:04:19 Final Thoughts/Recommendations 1:08:24 The Greatest Story Ever Played Plugs 1:13:07 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:14:46 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to Gordy Haab. Tracks used: The Great Circle, A New Adventure Awaits, Where Are We, Gina's Theme, Signs of the Stones, Until the Next Adventure Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon Strange Scaffold is a rare game studio that gets as much, or maybe even more, positive attention for their workplace ethos and number of releases per year as they do for their games themselves. I found myself in that same position, with great respect for their process, but no experience with the games themselves....until now! El Paso, Elsewhere is an emotional take on neo-noir, vampire stories, Max Payne and boomer shooters, and it works really well! Guest info: Jacob McCourt and Luke Lewis Check out their shared podcast Crossplay Conversations https://www.youtube.com/@crossplayconvos Check out Lukewarm Games https://www.lukewarmgames.com/ Follow Luke on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/lukewarmlewis.bsky.social Check out Left Behind Game Club https://leftbehindgame.club/ Check out Jacob's written reviews on The Gaming Brief https://thegamingbrief.ca/ Follow Jacob on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/jacob.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:22 Intros 4:20 Personal Histories with Strange Scaffold/El Paso, Elsewhere 10:43 Top-Level Thoughts on El Paso, Elsewhere 15:10 Story Setup 20:49 Presentation and Storytelling 27:02 Music 34:39 Shooting and Bullet Time 48:57 Gameplay Pacing 55:03 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations 1:01:27 Jacob and Luke Plug Their Stuff! 1:11:31 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:13:45 Spoilers- Janet, Draculae and James 1:33:06 Spoilers- Addiction, Being a Good Person, Endings Music used in the episode is credited to R.J. Lake and LAKE SAVAGE. Tracks used: a forty-six story motel, GONNA CUT, GHOSTIN' THE MAINFRAME, audio demon, almost exactly the same, next time on elpasoball z. Buy the score- https://spellmynamewithabang.bandcamp.com/album/el-paso-elsewhere-part-one-the-score Buy the rap album- https://spellmynamewithabang.bandcamp.com/album/el-paso-elsewhere-part-two-the-album Check out an interview with Xalavier Nelson Jr on the Gamerheads Podcast. Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon I was admittedly very late to the King's Field and Shadow Tower bandwagons, energized by my love for FromSoftware's modern titles and a desire to dig into their history some more. However, I didn't anticipate loving those games so much that I wanted more like them, and that's where Kira LLC's Lunacid (2023) entered the fray. Lunacid is a fantastic game, leaning more on the exploration and vibes of those FromSoftware dungeon crawlers than the opaque RPG mechanics, capturing the spirit in a modern way. A true indie success- listen in to find out why. Guest info: Dave Cox of Monster Dear Monster Check out Monster Dear Monster podcast https://www.monsterdear.monster/ Follow Dave on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/senplus.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:27 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 11:53 Story/World Setup 28:51 PS2-era Presentation/Controls 40:53 Soundtrack 47:52 Gameplay/RPG Mechanics 1:09:07 World Design/Exploration 1:13:53 "Breaking the Level Design" 1:29:49 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs 1:38:57 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:41:13 Spoiler Section- Discoveries and Easter Eggs 2:04:22 Spoiler Section- Story and Ending Music used in the episode is credited to Kira LLC. Tracks used: River of Death (Akuma Kira) The Great Well (Jarren Crist) Washed Away (Akuma Kira) Falling To My Death (Jarren Crist) Serence (Jarren Crist) The World and You (Akuma Kira) Serence (Reprise) (Jarren Crist) Purchase the soundtrack- https://store.steampowered.com/app/2692630/Lunacid_Original_Soundtrack/ Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon Some games just grab your attention from the first trailer, and South of Midnight is one of those games. A breathtaking art style and a gothic Southern fantasy setting? South of Midnight jumped straight to the top of my to-play list, and it did not disappoint. Guest info: Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? Check out all of the writing and reporting on But Why Tho? https://butwhytho.net/ Check out Kate's article on the folklore inspirations in South of Midnight https://butwhytho.net/2025/04/south-of-midnight-real-southern-folklore/ Follow Kate on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/ohmymithrandir.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:30 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 13:54 Story Setup/Folklore/Southern Gothic Storytelling 46:37 Presentation- Visuals/Music 1:01:46 Gameplay/Combat 1:21:49 Recommendations/Guest Plugs 1:30:37 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:32:26 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to Olivier Deriviere. You can purchase the soundtrack here. Tracks Used: Hazel's Story, The Storm, The Floods, Two-Toed Tom (Boss Fight), The Full Story, The Story Ends Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Flora Merigold, a writer for Epilogue Gaming and podcaster at Left Behind Game Club, shares her insights on Persona 4 Golden. She explores the game's intricate murder mystery and deep character development, highlighting its psychological themes like self-acceptance. Flora discusses the challenges of character representation and societal expectations, particularly focusing on Kanji and Naoto's journeys. The conversation emphasizes the narrative's impact on players, making a case for video games as profound storytelling mediums.

What if Resident Evil 1 was just puzzles? What if it was also about eccentric artists and how they view their art and the creative process vs how their work is perceived? Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (Simogo, 2024) is that game! Tune in to find out how we felt about it! Guest Info: Jesse Guarascia Find Jesse's work on Noclip's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@NoclipDocs Support Noclip on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/noclip Check out Blowback https://blowback.show/ Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/jesseguarascia.com TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:35 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 15:10 Story Setup/Story Themes 34:40 Puzzles 51:23 Presentation 1:09:11 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs 1:18:49 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:21:12 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén and Jonathan Eng. You can purchase the soundtrack here. Tracks used: Titles (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén) Art (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén) Mind Game (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén) Quiz Club (Daniel Olsén) The Black Arts Coffee Club (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén, Jonathan Eng) Interrogation (Daniel Olsén, Jonathan Eng) The Last Dream (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén) How It Ends (Linea Olsson, Daniel Olsén) Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Twitter Facebook Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon I can hear it now- "Another Ace Combat game? Didn't Dave just do one?" and the answer to those questions is "You bet your ass I'm doing another one, I'm IN IT NOW"....ahem, Ace Combat rules, and Ace Combat 7 (Bandai Namco, 2019) is the most Ace Combat that Ace Combat has ever been. Join us as we give it the deep dive! Guest info: Derek Van Dyke Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/derekvandyke.bsky.social Check out Derek's past work on SDGC https://officialsdgc.com/ Check out Castle Bravo for all of your Godzilla needs https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/castle-bravo-a-godzillaverse-retrospective/id1591745386 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:31 Introductions/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 14:37 Story Setup 34:04 Music/Visual Presentation 45:25 Gameplay 1:01:04 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs 1:11:23 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-You's 1:13:53 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is primarily credited to Keiki Kobayashi. Tracks used: Daredevil, Sol Squadron, Yinshi Valley, Archange, Skies Unknown, Hush Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pagesSupport Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/realdavejackson PAX East 2025 show floor was dominated by indie games, and here are all 17 of the indie games that I had a chance to play! Thank you to the folks at PAX for allowing me to cover the convention! TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 0:47 Tanuki: Pon's Summer https://store.steampowered.com/app/3218570/TANUKI_Pons_Summer/ 2:39 Airframe Ultra https://store.steampowered.com/app/2522120/Airframe_Ultra/ 4:18 Ultimate Sheep Raccoon https://store.steampowered.com/app/2923350/Ultimate_Sheep_Raccoon/ 6:04 Mycopunk https://store.steampowered.com/app/3247750/Mycopunk/ 7:39 BOTSU https://store.steampowered.com/app/885160/BOTSU/ 9:20 GIGASWORD https://store.steampowered.com/app/1885930/GIGASWORD/ 11:07 Altered Alma https://store.steampowered.com/app/2190700/Altered_Alma/ 12:41 Constance https://store.steampowered.com/app/2313700/Constance/ 13:54 The Berlin Apartment https://store.steampowered.com/app/2280430/The_Berlin_Apartment/ 15:47 Compensation Not Guaranteed https://store.steampowered.com/app/2795590/Compensation_Not_Guaranteed/ 18:10 Undusted: Letters from the Past https://store.steampowered.com/app/2891020/Undusted_Letters_from_the_Past/ 19:49 Fresh Tracks https://store.steampowered.com/app/3202950/Fresh_Tracks/ 22:17 Nocturne https://store.steampowered.com/app/1374860/Nocturne/ 24:13 Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson https://store.steampowered.com/app/2429050/FretlessThe_Wrath_of_Riffson/ 25:45 The Lacerator https://store.steampowered.com/app/2339330/The_Lacerator/ 27:30 Demonschool https://store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/Demonschool/ 29:39 Love Eternal https://store.steampowered.com/app/3010610/LOVE_ETERNAL/ 31:13 Video Game Trivia, Six One Indie Showcase and Thank You** Check out Jacob Mccourt https://www.youtube.com/@JacobMcCourt for the Video Game Trivia show I was in, and follow Six One Indie https://www.youtube.com/@SixOneIndie for more indie game announcements on May 22nd! Intro/outro music composed by Bert Cole- https://www.bitbybitsound.com Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pagesSupport Tales from the Backlog

Support my work on Patreon https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Is it really the most innovative shooter I've played in years? SUPERHOT Team struck gold with this idea, did just enough with it, and got out before things got stale. Now that's what I call SUPER. HOT. Guest info: Emily Merritt aka aspecificegg Check out No Small Games https://nosmallgames.com/ Follow No Small Games on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social Catch Emily on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/aspecificegg Follow Emily on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Title Card 0:14 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 11:07 Story Setup/Presentation 26:35 Gameplay 52:58 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Guest Plugs 1:01:30 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous 1:02:55 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode: SUPER. HOT. by SUPERHOT Team Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! Social Media: BlueSky Instagram Twitter Facebook Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)! Support Tales from the Backlog