It is done. Geoff Keighley descended from Gamer Mountain with the results of 2024's Game Awards scrawled onto two stone tablets. (Brought to you by Mountain Dew.) Kat, Eric, and Nadia understandably have opinions about the games that were snubbed, and the games that received recognition. How about you? Do you agree with Geoff's decrees? Are you with us? Or against us? Listen to this episode and use your heart to decide. And make sure to have a hard think about overlooked gems this year while we talk about our own "hidden" favourites.

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and Discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod

Also in this episode

• Intergalactic planetary, planetary Intergalactic
• Give Steam World Heist 2 its due
• Siri has opinions about Witcher 4's Ciri
• Eric's cat has opinions about everything
• Sweet Valley Twins fans rise up

Time stamps

• 00:00 - Intro
• 08:30 - Main topic: The 2024 Game Awards
• 47:21 - Random Encounters
• 52:27 - The Tavern: Overlooked RPG Gems for 2024
• 1:19:52 - The Nostalgia Nook

Music used in this episode

• Battle Theme [Metaphor: Refantazio]
• Do Your Best! [Breath of Fire III]
• It's a Sin [Pet Shop Boys]
• Paddy's Pub [Dragon Quest IX]
• A Curious Tale [Secret of Mana]
• Faring in the Ocean [Steam Powered Giraffe]

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Pour yourself a delicious bowl of proprietary memory cards and fire up an unskippable cutscene; we're talking all about what 30 years of Playstation has meant for RPGs!

Are we in a better timeline than the one where Square stuck with Nintendo? Find out on this week's episode!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod

Also in this episode:

• Pokemon TCG Pocket Update!
• What's happening with Elden Ring 2?
• Path of Exile 2
• Fantasian: Neo Dimension is here!

Timestamps:

• 01:44 - Main Topic - How Playstation Shaped RPG History
• 54:08 - Random Encounters
• 1:01:16 - The Tavern
• 1:28:24 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

• Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
• Pub - [Boktai DS]
• A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
• A Good Beating - [Fantasian]

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The Blood God hosts are taking a quick holiday break so as a treat we're pulling a classic episode of Pantheon of the Blood God out from behind the paywall!

Listen to this deep-dive into Lunar: Silver Star Story and if you like what you hear subscribe at the $10 tier to access the entire back catalogue of Pantheon of the Blood God. Or better yet, give the gift of the Blood God this holiday season with Patreon's new subscription gifting feature.

Regular episodes will be back soon, including our year-end lists, but until then enjoy this classic:

For the March 2023 edition of the Pantheon of the Blood God, Kat, Nadia, and Eric are joined by Anthony John Agnello and Aidan Moher for Lunar: The Silver Star Story! Their increasingly unhinged conversation covers the following:

• The story of Working Designs
• Luna's Boat Song
• SHADOW MADNESS
• And much, much more!

Then the verdict: Is Lunar: Silver Star Story worthy of the Pantheon of the Blood God? Listen in and find out!

As always, a huge thanks to our $10 and up Patrons for all your support! Every month we pick a new RPG for Pantheon contention, which is voted on by the Blood God community at large. Next up: Super Mario RPG! Join the Discord to discuss the episode, and to follow our Monthly Game Club discussions!

Time Stamps

00:00 - Introduction

05:00 - Hosts' history with the Lunar series

24:20 - Lunar's development history

57:29 - Critical reception

1:16:20 - Does Lunar deserve to be in the Pantheon?

1:43:20 - The Verdict

1:56:00 - Outro

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I hope you don't mind missables because there's no perfect route through this episode; it's time for Romancing SaGa!

Kat, Nadia, and Eric are enlightened by special guest Lucas White's SaGa knowledge as they discuss both of this year's SaGa entries: Emerald Beyond and Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod

Also in this episode:

• Who got snubbed in the Keighleys?
• Is Sony going to ruin anime forever?
• What is Obsidian cooking with Avowed?
• Final Fantasy XIV Update!

Timestamps:

• 07:44 - Main Topic - Romancing SaGa Primer
• 41:22 - Random Encounters
• 45:24 - The Tavern
• 1:28:24 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

• Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
• Pub - [Boktai DS]
• A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
• Battle - [Romancing SaGa 2]

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As Canadian kid's game show "UH-OH" character Punisher once said; IT'S SLIME TIME.

Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest Cam Hawkins discuss the newest DQ from SE. Is the HD-2D remake of Famicom classic Dragon Quest III the definitive version? Is it a good jumping off point for new players of the series? Did you know it's actually Dragon Quest VI in Japan?

All this and more in this episode of Axe of the Blood God!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod

Also in this episode:

• Pokemon TCG Pocket update!
• A whole lotta Falcom talk for the Ys and Trails/Kiseki-heads
• Eric's Dragon Age: The Veilguard update
• Nadia teaches us how to swear
• Victor finally picks a theme song for The Tavern

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Main Topic - Dragon Quest III HD-2D
• 37:22 - Random Encounters
• 47:04 - The Tavern
• 1:35:44 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

• Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
• Pub - [Boktai DS]
• A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
• Village - [Dragon Quest III]

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Hey, it's a bit bonkers out there! Why not retreat for a moment into the human race's oldest form of escapism; video games!

Games like Stardew Valley are no-brainers but you may be surprised what kinds of games our panel takes comfort in when it feels like the world is burning down around them. All this and more on this week's Axe of the Blood God!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod

Also in this episode:

• Mario and Luigi: Brothership
• Mass Effect! Now for TV!
• Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket
• Star Trek beef
• Kat's Persona 3 update!

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Main Topic - Cozy RPGs
• 44:40 - Random Encounters
• 1:01:36 - The Tavern
• 1:35:44 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

• Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
• A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
• Town Theme - [Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town]

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Everyone look under your chair and put on your custom "Kiss the Rook" aprons I've made for you because it's time to dig into another of the massive RPGs of the year -- Dragon Age: The Veilguard!

From character creation to romance, from classes to dungeon design, the writing and the role-playing, the good and the bad; Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest Leana Hafer cover it all on this very special episode of Axe of the Blood God!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod

Also in this episode:

• Xenoblade Chronicles X is back!
• Dragon Quest III HD-2D
• Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket
• Monster Hunter Wilds

Timestamps:

• 07:12 - Main Topic - Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• 1:06:40 - Random Encounters
• 1:11:12 - The Tavern
• 1:40:00 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

• Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
• A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
• Leliana's Dance - [Dragon Age: Origins]

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It's been a dragon's age since we've had a new Dragon Age but the time has finally arrived.

Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss the entire series, its influences, its impact, and more as we get closer to the launch of Veilguard!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod

Also in this episode:

• Monster Hunter Wilds Beta
• The retro collecting rabbit hole
• You all need to save the Saturn talk for a Victor episode
• More Emio: The Smiling Man!
• Halloween stories

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Main Topic
• 1:06:40 - Random Encounters
• 1:13:20 - The Tavern
• 1:34:24 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

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BAT!

Join Kat, Nadia, and your old pal from the edit bay Victor Hunter as they discuss the hottest (and sometimes the most mechanically interesting) characters in RPGs; the dhampir! They're not JUST for bisexuals!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod

Also in this episode:

• Come play FFXI with us
• Astar, a robot from Planet Danger
• More Metaphor!

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Main Topic
• 1:14:00 - Random Encounters
• 1:18:16 - The Tavern
• 1:31:20 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

• Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
• A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
• Solar Boy Django - [Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django]

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It's time to Fantazio. Again!

Kat, Nadia, and Eric, are joined by IGN's Michael Higham to discuss the biggest RPG release of October, Metaphor: ReFantazio. Take a shot every time someone mentions Persona, or for the full effect take a shot every time someone doesn't mention SMT.

All that plus leaks, anime recommendations, passionate pleas from Nadia to end the console wars, and more on this week's jam-packed episode of Axe of the Blood God!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod

Also in this episode:

• The Game Freak hack
• Waypoint's corpse
• Before Your Eyes
• Persona 3 Update!
• Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO

Timestamps:

• 04:16 - Main Topic
• 1:03:28 - Random Encounters
• 1:15:44 - The Tavern - Waypoint
• 1:53:56 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

• Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
• A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
• Cinematic Tale - [Persona Q2]

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Unionizations, lay-offs, tragic passings! It's been A Year! Eric, Nadia, and special guest Jesse Vitelli discuss the biggest headlines of the year and take a look at the latest Legend of Zelda!

It's an episode of tonal whiplash and fond reminiscence!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod

Also in this episode:

• Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games were fun!
• Mrs. Incredible. I'll say she is.
• Subscribe to Jesse's newsletter: Send News
• Dragon Quest at the centre of the culture war
• Cadet Kelly

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Main Topic
• 1:03:56 - Random Encounters
• 1:09:58 - The Tavern - Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
• 1:33:52 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

• Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
• A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
• Skull Pirates - [Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons]

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