Retro Encounter Archives | Page 2 of 15

Retro Encounter 421 – Grandia II Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on June 13, 2024

Inside every cynic, there is a disappointed idealist. Grandia II felt like an RPG ahead of its time in 2000, with sophisticated active-time battles, smart underlying systems, and clever writing anchored by Ryudo, Grandia II’s sarcastic protagonist. Today’s episode of Retro Encounter… Read More »

Retro Encounter 420 – Omori Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on June 6, 2024

I’ve walked for miles / My feet are hurting. Content Warning: this podcast episode addresses many sensitive topics, including mental health issues and self-harm. Is Omori an offbeat retro-styled RPG about a journey through a young person’s psyche? A story about a group of frien… Read More »

Retro Encounter 419 – Hard to Love RPGs

Posted by Michael Sollosi on May 30, 2024

Accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. No one of sound mind plays an RPG out of spite. Players want to enjoy the games they play, sometimes with a fair amount of hype and anticipation beforehand. Today, we walk in between joy and despair, and discuss ten games that the panel wan… Read More »

Retro Encounter 418 – Omori Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on May 23, 2024

But my dreams, they aren’t as empty / As my headspace seems to be Content Warning: this podcast episode addresses many sensitive topics, including mental health issues and self-harm. Omori is an indie game that takes on dark themes such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and loss in a thoughtful,… Read More »

Retro Encounter 417 – RPG Obsessions with David Vinc

Posted by Michael Sollosi on May 16, 2024

To love is to suffer Three RPGFan panelists are joined by RPG enthusiast YouTuber David Vinc to discuss the favorites and frustrations about the world of RPGs. Does our guest prefer the predictable comfort of Dragon Quest or the unstable beauty of Final Fantasy? Which panelist has played Lufia II do… Read More »

Retro Encounter 416 – Persona 3 Reload

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on May 9, 2024

Are you courageous enough to try Retro Encounter yet? Back in February, Persona 3 Reload released, much to the delight of many on staff, So, this week, two veterans of Persona 3 and one newbie get together to chat about Persona 3 Reload. How does this one compare to the rest of the series?… Read More »

Retro Encounter 415 – Arc the Lad II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on May 5, 2024

Elc the Kid Arc the Lad II is an improvement over the first in nearly every way, as a more dramatic, dynamic, and lengthy PS1 RPG only held back by some technical limitations, a lack of save points, and an excess of towers. Four Retro Encounter panelists played Arc the Lad II last month, and this ga… Read More »

Retro Encounter 414 – Arc the Lad

Posted by Wes Iliff on April 25, 2024

Arc seeking Ark While it was a launch title for the PSOne in Japan, Arc the Lad was something of a swan song by the time it finally released in the West. It also stands as one of the final works of the now-defunct Working Designs localization company. Today our four panelists dig into this hidden cl… Read More »

Retro Encounter 413 – Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Spoilercast

Posted by Michael Sollosi on April 18, 2024

To be the sad man / Behind Mako eyes Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, one of the most anticipated RPGs of 2024, reimagines many of the most dramatic and emotional moments of Final Fantasy VII, form Cloud’s flashback to Barret’s hometown and beyond, in a segmented open world environment driven by a mix of… Read More »

Retro Encounter 412 – Fallout Encounter

Posted by Jonathan Logan on April 11, 2024

Retro. Retro never changes. But boy, long-running RPG series sure can! Back when a small group of developers at Interplay Productions released Fallout in 1997, I’m sure they couldn’t imagine they were setting the foundations for one of the most iconic RPG series of all time. From its humble beginnin… Read More »

Retro Encounter 411 – Musou Encounter

Posted by Michael Sollosi on April 4, 2024

Warriors! Come out and play~~~ Omega Force, a subsidiary of Koei Tecmo, has made a name for itself over the past 25 years with dozens of entries into its Musou series, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors in particular. Today, a Retro Encounter panel discusses Musou’s origins as historical sims, it… Read More »

Retro Encounter 410 – Final Fantasy IV Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 28, 2024

I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon. Retro Encounter sees Final Fantasy IV through to its logical conclusion, from journeys to the center of the earth to heartbreaking family reunions, then, Alice, you’re going to the moon. Four Retro Encounter panelists talk the second half of Final Fan… Read More »

Retro Encounter 409 – Final Fantasy IV Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 21, 2024

I am not my Dark Knight’s keeper Final Fantasy IV is a 1991 RPG full of colorful characters and high drama. But how does it hold up after 33 years of perspective? Four Retro Encounter panelists who grew up (separately) playing Final Fantasy IV give the classic SNES RPG another look (together), discu… Read More »

Retro Encounter 408 – Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Spoilercast

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 14, 2024

The real Infinite Wealth was the friends we made along the way. Ichiban Kasuga returns in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku 8 in Japanese), teaming up with former Like a Dragon protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in a wild turn-based open-world RPG set in both Japan and Hawaii. Four RPGFan st… Read More »

Retro Encounter 407 – Dragon Age II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 7, 2024

Can you SMELL what the Hawke is cooking? Dragon Age II had a mixed critical reception back in March of 2011, so we’re giving it a fresh perspective in March of 2024. Today’s Retro Encounter panel makes an exodus to Kirkwall to determine how they feel about DA2’s excellent characters… Read More »

Retro Encounter 406 – Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on February 29, 2024

If I could turn back time / If I could find a way Four RPGFan staff played through Dragon Quest XI this month, and it left them full of feelings. But were those feelings satisfying or wanting? How did they find DQ11’s notorious third act? Spoiler alert: this is a wonderful video game, despite what o… Read More »

Retro Encounter 405 – Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on February 22, 2024

I love it when villagers rhyme / it makes me as glad as a slime Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age was hailed as an instant classic when it launched worldwide in 2018, and with more than five years of perspective our panel agrees. They discuss Dragon Quest XI’s charming characters, rock-solid… Read More »

Retro Encounter 404 – The Dragon of Dojima

Posted by Michael Sollosi on February 15, 2024

Rock the Dragon. Kazuma Kiryu starred in at least a dozen video games in the last eighteen years and experienced a remarkable fictional life. In today’s podcast, two of RPGFan’s most enthusiastic Like a Dragon advocates examine the life and times of the Dragon of Dojima, as part of Retro Encounter’s… Read More »

Retro Encounter 403 – Unpopular RPG Opinions

Posted by Michael Sollosi on February 8, 2024

Opinions are like cats. The internet is full of them. We mostly fall into conventional wisdom here on Retro Encounter when it comes to what games deserve celebration and which games do not (there will not be an episode on Beyond the Beyond anytime soon), but we don’t always go with the grain.… Read More »

Retro Encounter 402 – The RPG Drafty Awards

Posted by Michael Sollosi on February 1, 2024

Should we double check the envelope? We’re in the middle of entertainment awards show season, and it’s high time Retro Encounter decides a worthy ballot for the RPGs with the best characters, music, visuals, gameplay, and story. But to make things interesting, we’re drafting four games for each cate… Read More »

Retro Encounter 401 – Moon: Remix RPG Adventure

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on January 25, 2024

Fill my heart with Retro / And let me play RPGs forevermore We’re back this week to discuss the second half of Moon, a game that parodies RPGs so much it almost becomes an Adventure game. How does the second half of the game compare with the first? Did we get all the love? Just how many frustrating… Read More »

Retro Encounter 400 – Shark Party

Posted by Michael Sollosi on January 18, 2024

FOUR HUNDRED BABIES If you’ve listened to a Retro Encounter multiple of 50 before, you know that the panel is going to come up with a public poll for a future Retro Encounter episode. This time around, we’re having a shark party! The panel will “invest” in pitches from twelve Retro Encounter panelis… Read More »

Retro Encounter 399 — Moon: Remix RPG Adventure

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on January 11, 2024

Bubby, if you ain’t got Retro Encounter, you’ll stop breathing and pass the heck out. After waiting over two decades, we finally got a localization of this quirky gem, Moon: Remix RPG Adventure. So, we got three of our panelists to discuss the first half of the game. We talk about the odd gameplay m… Read More »

Retro Encounter 398 – Super Mario RPG Revisited

Posted by Michael Sollosi on January 4, 2024

Movin’ to the country / I’m gonna eat a lot of Toadstools Super Mario RPG turned 27 in 2023 (!), and to celebrate, Nintendo and ArtePiazza released a snazzy new remake. Three Retro Encounter enthusiasts discuss the new remake’s new look, gameplay adjustments, and breezy difficulty, as well as Mario… Read More »

Retro Encounter 397 – 2023 Year in Review

Posted by Michael Sollosi on December 28, 2023

2023 and Me In true RPGFan podcast fashion, Retro Encounter always looks back. In an annual tradition since 2015, a Retro Encounter panel examines the previous year of RPGs and highlights a few favorites. What RPG is labeled a platonic ideal? What two 2023 downloads might be among the best DLC… Read More »

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