On this episode of Random Encounter, we are chatting about a long-awaited remake and an unexpected spin-off!

First, Zach is here to share his experience with the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. This ground-up remake of the beloved Famicom/NES JRPG has been a long time coming, first announced in 2021. With updated graphics, mechanics, storyline, and scope, this second coming of DQIII (or given prior remakes, third coming? Maybe fourth? No, fifth!) might be the perfect jumping-on point for folks interested in the iconic, long-running series!

Then, Caitlin joins us to discuss one of the most unexpected spin-offs in years: LEGO Horizon Adventures. Essentially a lighthearted remake of the first game in the Horizon series, Horizon Zero Dawn, LEGO Horizon takes everything we love about this beautiful post-apocalyptic world and translates it into LEGO. That means stunning Lego recreations of many machine beasts, including Watchers, Thunderjaws, and Tallnecks! Does this LEGO spin-off capture what makes the Horizon series so special?

And finally, hey, we chat about politics for a while because this is the world we live in.

Featuring: Jono Logan, Caitlin Argyros, and Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Jono Logan

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This Episode's Related Links:
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Review
Lego Horizon Adventures Review

On this episode of Random Encounter, we have another two GOTY contenders for you!

First up is Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the first new Dragon Age in a decade ! After BioWare's last two flops, they desperately needed a win, and it certainly sounds like they got one with this new installment of the long-running and beloved series! Audra is here to share all of her thoughts on how Dragon Age has evolved since Dragon Age: Inquisition back in 2014!

And then Ben is here to torture Jono by chatting about Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven! A remake of Super Famicom's Romancing Saga 2 from back in 1993, Revenge of the Seven lovingly reimagines the epic storyline set over hundreds of years and dozens of generations of heroes. Don't let Jono's grumbling about the series put you off because this might be a dark horse favorite for GOTY!

Featuring: Jono Logan, Audra Bowling, and Ben Love; Edited by Jono Logan

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This Episode's Related Links:
Dragon Age: Origins Review
Dragon Age II Review
Dragon Age: Inquisition Review
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Review
Romancing SaGa 2 (2016) Review
Romancing SaGa 3 (2019) Review

On this episode of Random Encounter, two first-timers are joining us to chat about two of the year's biggest games!

First up, Zek is joined by Zach to rave about Atlus' latest RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio. Known for the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series, Metaphor offers a brand-new world full of all the things you love about previous Atlus games: close character relationships, incredible world-building, and jaw-dropping UI. It's absolutely in the running for GOTY 2024!

But another contender for GOTY is the brand-new entry in the Zelda series, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and Paul and Mike are here to talk about it! While it may look like a retro-inspired 2D Zelda game on the surface, this title brings a shockingly novel innovation to the series: Zelda as a playable character. Imagine!

Featuring: Jono Logan, Mike Salbato, Paul Skevington, Zach Wilkerson, and Zek Lu; Edited by Jono Logan

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This Episode's Related Links:
Metaphor: ReFantazio Review
Persona 5 Royal Review
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Review
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019) Review

On this episode of Random Encounter, it's time to chat about some recent game compilations!

Game compilations are not only a fantastic way to re-experience older games, but they also offer excellent value for your money! Even if the games are a little old, you're still getting multiple games for the price of one. And if you're lucky, the developer will have gone the extra mile to add quality-of-life features, remastered graphics and sound, and lots of additional bells and whistles!

So, Zach is here to discuss the Castlevania Dominus Collection, a compilation of all three DS-era Castlevania games (Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia). These, along with the titles in the Castlevania Advance Collection, were the games that cemented the portmanteau "Metroidvania," so they are well worth a second (or maybe even first) look.

Then, Jono gets to chat about one of his favorite series with the release of the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection. Combining Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and the previously-unreleased-in-the-West Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit, this compilation will give you the same wacky suspects, logical deductions, and heartfelt characters that the series is known for!

Plus, thanks to some incredible timing, Jono and Zach get to freak out about the upcoming Lunar Remastered Collection! This is going to be a good one!  

Featuring: Jono Logan and Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Jono Logan

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This Episode's Related Links:
A Closer Look at Lunar Remastered Collection in Screens
Castlevania Dominus Collection Review
Castlevania Advance Collection Review
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Review
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy Review
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Review

On this episode of Random Encounter, Jono and Hilary geek out over a fantastic book focusing on the localization of beloved indie RPG, Undertale.

Video game localizations have come a long way since the days of spoony bards. When we usually think about game localization, we think Japanese to English. But what about the other way around?

Legends of Localization is a book series written by professional video game and anime translator Clyde Mandelin. In his latest volume, Legends of Localization Book 3: Undertale, Mandelin walks us through the incredible process of taking Undertale, a Western love letter to JRPGs, and localizing it for Japanese audiences. The book is absolutely loaded with amazing insights, entertaining anecdotes, and fascinating tidbits about the monumental effort it takes to translate and localize this uniquely quirky game. Join Jono and Hilary as they take a deep dive into this fascinating tome! 

Featuring: Jono Logan and Hilary Andreff; Edited by Jono Logan

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This Episode's Related Links:
Undertale Review
Link to Purchase Legends of Localization Book 3: Undertale

On this episode of Random Encounter, we're talking politics! Well, no, not really, but there are some jokes about politics in here...

First up, Izzy has played the first new Mana game since 2020's Trials of Mana remake, Visions of Mana! With spiky hair, lush landscapes, and real-time RPG action, it's undeniably a Mana game, but does it live up to the heights of the series' golden age on the SNES?

Then, Jerry reviews what's been described as the first AAA video game ever developed in China, Black Myth: Wukong. Does this stunning Souls-like portend the rise of the AAA Chinese gaming industry, or is it a missed opportunity in the politics of soft power (See, jokes about politics! Whee!)?

Featuring: Jono Logan, Izzy Parsons, and Jerry Williams; Edited by Jono Logan

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This Episode's Related Links:
Visions of Mana Review
Collection of Mana Review
Trials of Mana Review
Black Myth: Wukong Review

On this episode of Random Encounter, we're chatting about some of video game history's most prolific anthropomorphic animal crimefighters!

First up, Jono binge-plays the brand-new remaster of the third season of Telltale Games' Sam & Max series: The Devil's Playhouse. Lovingly remastered by Skunkape Games, does this remaster bring the 2010 point-and-click up to speed? Or is it left as roadkill on the highway of history?

Then, Hilary chats about the recent demo of the eagerly awaited revival of the Mana series: Visions of Mana. Coming out on August 29th, does this demo deliver that classic Mana taste?   

Finally, Abe teams up with the turtles-in-a-half-shell to rescue Master Splinter in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Spintered Fate. Rather than the tried-and-true, beat-em-up genre, Splintered Fate pulls its inspiration from Hades. And boy, it pulls a LOT of inspiration! Is this Hades-like worth playing, or is it better left in the sewers?

Featuring: Jono Logan, Hilary Andreff, and Abraham Kobylanski; Edited by Jono Logan

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This Episode's Related Links:
Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered Review
Visions of Mana Hands-On: A Beautiful Return to Form Preview
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate Review

On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re chatting about heisting steam-powered robots and the foggiest post-apocalyptic city you've ever seen.

First up, Ben embraces his inner robot pirate with the sequel to 2015's TRPG, Steamworld Heist, Steamworld Heist II. The latest entry in the multi-genre Steamworld series, Heist II delivers a side-scrolling, turn-based spin on XCOM-style gameplay with a healthy dose of adorable steam-powered robots. Does it live up to the first game and the rest of the series? 

Then, did the hit Amazon series leave you craving a new Fallout game? Well, as usual, the modders are doing what Bethesdon't with the astonishing full Fallout 4 conversion mod, Fallout London. This mod completely recreates London, England and its boroughs, giving the famous city a post-nuclear apocalypse vibe. Yes, it was made by fans, but can it deliver a New Vegas-style experience to Fallout 4?

Featuring: Jono Logan and Ben Love; Edited by Jono Logan

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This Episode's Related Links:
Steamworld Heist II Review
Steamworld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech Review
Fallout 4 Review
Fallout 76 Review
Fallout Season One Review

On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re diving into a magical alpine journey and revisiting a classic RPG.

First up, Abe joins us to discuss Dungeons of Hinterberg. This action RPG with Zelda and Persona-like elements is set in a beautiful Austrian resort town, combining combat, puzzles, and social interactions. How do these elements come together to create a memorable adventure (and vacation)?

Then, Neal is here to chat about the modern remaster of Vay, a classic RPG from the Sega CD era. This re-release aims to bring the nostalgic experience to modern platforms, maintaining the original charm while enhancing the graphics and gameplay with quality-of-life features. Does this remaster capture the magic of the original, or does it fall short of today's RPG expectations?

Featuring: Jono Logan, Neal Chandran, and Abraham Kobylanski; Edited by Jono Logan

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This Episode's Related Links:
Dungeons of Hinterberg Review
Vay (2024)
Vay (2008) Review
Vay Review

On this episode of Random Encounter, we're celebrating our 300th episode with a special draft!

Four years is a long time in the video game industry, so we’re making predictions about what things will be like when we record our 400th episode in April 2028. Jono has gathered all the hosts from the RPGFan podcasts to make their picks. Whoever gets the most predictions right in four years will win a video game! It's time to draft to the future!

Featuring: Jono Logan, Hilary Andreff, Mike Salbato, and Michael Sollosi; Edited by Jono Logan

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This Episode's Related Links:
Retro Encounter
Rhythm Encounter

On this episode of Random Encounter, we're breaking down all the RPG news from the June 2024 Nintendo Direct and chatting about the recent re-release of Monster Hunter Stories and its sequel!

As usual, Nintendo's latest showcase brought the house down with a flurry of surprises. Far from the Switch going out with a whisper, this Direct made it clear that Nintendo intends to go out with a bang! Did Nintendo manage to outshine the Not-E3 presentations the previous week, or were fans left wanting more?

Then, we're diving into the Monster Hunter Stories series with Abe and Audra. We'll explore the recent re-release of the original Monster Hunter Stories and its sequel, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. Abe and Audra, who reviewed these titles respectively, join us to discuss the unique charm of these spin-offs, their place in the broader Monster Hunter universe, and how they've evolved the formula for a new generation of hunters.

Featuring: Jono Logan, Abraham Kobylanski, and Audra Bowling; Edited by Jono Logan

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This Episode's Related Links:
YouTube - We Played Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake - First Gameplay Look!
Monster Hunter Stories Review
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Review