Retro Encounter Archives | Page 2 of 12

Retro Encounter 345 – Live A Live Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on September 29, 2022

Live (A Live) from the Middle Ages, it’s Thursday night! Live A Live is an anthology RPG comprised of eight miniature stories that lead to a grand finale, and its 2022 remake gets three thumbs up from today’s Retro Encounter panel. They discuss the tragic eighth chapter, as well as the twisted endga… Read More »

Retro Encounter 344 – Live A Live Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on September 22, 2022

Rhymes with “Drive Survive,” not “Sieve Forgive” Live A Live, an influential 1994 RPG developed by Square during their Super Nintendo apex, is an anthology RPG which tells eight short stories that eventually coalesce into a satisfying finale. Live A Live’s 2022 Nintendo Switch remake is the ti… Read More »

Retro Encounter 343 – Fabula Nova Crystallis

Posted by Michael Sollosi on September 15, 2022

Never Gonna Give Yeul Up Fabula Nova Crystallis, the high-concept collection of Final Fantasy games dating from 2006, resulted in five games of varying tone and execution. Retro Encounter spent much of August playing and discussing Final Fantasy XIII, and today three panelists break down and lift up… Read More »

Retro Encounter 342 – Say Yes to the 3DS

Posted by Michael Sollosi on September 10, 2022

Finally, we connect Xenoblade Chronicles to Abraham Lincoln. The 3DS eShop is on its last legs as Nintendo phases out online support for its successful handheld, but Retro Encounter hasn’t given up on this 3D-enabled machine yet. Five panelists (including three new ones!) discuss their favorite 3DS… Read More »

Retro Encounter 341 – Final Fantasy XIII Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on September 3, 2022

How clear is Final Fantasy XIII’s story? Not exactly Crystal. Final Fantasy XIII has a wild ride to the finish, and three Retro Encounter panelists cap off their personal experiences playing it by reacting to FF XIII’s remarkable design changes, confusing character motivations, and beautiful i… Read More »

Retro Encounter 340 – Final Fantasy XIII Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on August 25, 2022

Thunderbolts and Lightning / Very very frightening Final Fantasy XIII, one of the most divisive games in the world’s most popular Japanese RPG series, is certainly old enough to be considered Retro, but its style and tone are anything but. Our panelists are one FF XIII veteran, one FF XIII neophyte,… Read More »

Retro Encounter 339 – Story vs. Gameplay

Posted by Michael Sollosi on August 18, 2022

What’s the story, RPGFan? Do you think it’s worth a look? It seems kinda familiar, like a story from a book. RPGs and adventure games very often have an outsize focus on storytelling, in part because so many of them are about a group of characters growing and changing over the course of their… Read More »

Retro Encounter 338 – Three Truths and a Lie Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on August 11, 2022

Don’t ask me no questions, and I won’t tell you no lies. We here at Retro Encounter love talking about video games, but decided to spend this episode getting to know each other a little better. In a sequel to a 2020 episode, four RPGFan panelists play a game in which they try to tell fact from… Read More »

Retro Encounter 337 – Tales of Xillia Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on August 4, 2022

Hey Jude, don’t make it bad / Take a spirit, and make her better / Remember to let her into your heart / Then you can start to save the planet. Three RPGFan staff played through Tales of Xillia in July 2022, and left Rieze Maxia and Elympios feeling satisfied. By game’s end, the panelists were… Read More »

Retro Encounter 336 – Tales of Xillia Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on July 21, 2022

We’re all doing our best, but there is always room for Progress Tales of Xillia made a big splash on the PS3 in the early 2010s, with beautifully-rendered characters and frenetic combat. The usual Tales Of standards are here, from a climate crisis connected to Mana Spirits to cumbersomely-named batt… Read More »

Retro Encounter 335 – Gaming Accessibility

Posted by Hilary Andreff on July 15, 2022

Did you know that RPGs, especially more traditional text-based RPGs, are generally considered to be among the more accessible videogame types? And that’s a wonderful distinction, because accessibility means that the greatest possible number of players can actually play and enjoy it. Join our intrepi… Read More »

Retro Encounter 334 – RPGFan Quiz Show: Gaiden

Posted by Michael Sollosi on July 7, 2022

The chase is on in our pointless quiz show! Retro Encounter engages in friently competition for the fifth time, with four RPGFan staff members taking on the quizmaster’s queue of questions. This quiz is a slightly different format from previous shows, with the four contestants playing simultaneously… Read More »

Retro Encounter 333 – Suikoden I Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on June 30, 2022

Young master… listen to this episode. That is my first… and last… request. Determined duels! Shocking departures! Sudden but inevitable betrayal! The second half of Suikoden the first is not lacking in drama, and four Retro Encounter panelists relish it, whether they’re experiencing it for the… Read More »

Retro Encounter 332 – Suikoden I Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on June 23, 2022

Odessa told me: “A talkative man who doesn’t have a podcast is a coward.” One of the very first RPGs on the PlayStation, Suikoden created a legion of new fans in 1995, spawning nearly a dozen sequels and spinoffs over the next decade-plus. Retro Encounter has discussed multiple Suikoden sequels in o… Read More »

Retro Encounter 331 – Suikoden Fantasy Draft

Posted by Michael Sollosi on June 16, 2022

Hundreds of heroes hire an agent, only thirty-two get the call Retro Encounter returns from its 77-day hiatus to deliver three Suikoden episodes in a row! But before we get to our journal through the first Suikoden, we’re going to draft Suikoden characters through the lifetime of the entire series,… Read More »

Retro Encounter 330 – Salt and Sanctuary

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 31, 2022

Three hosts enter. One leaves satisfied, one leaves salty, and the third… is still on the island. For Retro Encounter’s third and final game of Metroidvania Month, three panelists took on Ska Studios’ Salt & Sanctuary, a 2016 action RPG inspired heavily by both Metroidvania games and From Softwa… Read More »

Retro Encounter 329 – RPG Adaptations III

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 26, 2022

Of warrior mice and podcast men. Adaptations! In advance of an RPGFan feature later this month, three Retro Encounter panelists talk about their favorite stories and IP from outside the realm of video game RPGs, and how they each could be adapted into RPGs. 1980s novels aimed at young adults, 2000s… Read More »

Retro Encounter 328 – Super Metroid

Posted by Mike Salbato on March 17, 2022

A couple weeks ago, we kicked off Metroidvania March with an episode on Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. Today we turn our attention to what is, in many ways, the true origin of this sub-genre of adventure games, and the first half of its name before “-vania” would be added in subsequent years: Super Me… Read More »

Retro Encounter 327 – Pokémon Fantasy Draft

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 11, 2022

Jay Bilas is on hand to break down Flying-type wingspans. It’s time to d-d-d-d-draft! Several RPGFan staff are enjoying Pokemon Legends: Arceus in the early days of 2022, so four Retro Encounter panelists are celebrating good times by drafting teams of their favorite monsters and trainers from the P… Read More »

Retro Encounter 326 – Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 3, 2022

First of all / I’m the soloist / The soul controller Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow was a highlight of the run of handheld Castlevania games of the 2000s, starring the soul-collecting teenager Soma Cruz. Four panelists with varying levels of Castlevania experience played or replayed Aria of Sorrow for… Read More »

Retro Encounter 325 – Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on February 25, 2022

In which we all followed the Light, and read spoilers on the Dark Three Retro Encounter panelists finished runs of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic this month, and discover the truth of the Star Forge, the Sith Academy, and Darth Revan. Droids guarding riddles, Sith guarding crystals, and one… Read More »

Retro Encounter 324 – Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on February 17, 2022

A few decades ago, in a BioWare far, far away… Way back in 2003, Knights of the Old Republic was a standout RPG for the original Xbox that helped raise the public profile of BioWare, a sizeable Canadian developer of western-style RPGs. And less than a year before KOTOR is slated for a huge remake,… Read More »

Retro Encounter 323 – The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope

Posted by Michael Sollosi on February 11, 2022

Abandon some hope, ye who play this game In 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 navigati… Read More »

Retro Encounter 322 – Skies of Arcadia Part II

Posted by Alana Hagues on February 5, 2022

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 superbosse… Read More »

Retro Encounter 321 – Skies of Arcadia Part I

Posted by Alana Hagues on January 28, 2022

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 b… Read More »

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