RPGFan's Retro Encounter

More like revenge of the four (panelists).

This week on Retro Encounter we dive into the second half of Romancing SaGa 2. Topics include unfair quest structures, our favorite classes, and the absurdly challenging final boss. Did everyone finish? Do we have have any new SaGa fans on the panel? Did anyone pull their hair out? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

Artwork credit: SaGa Wiki (https://saga.fandom.com/)

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A group of four panelists rise up and face a merciless RPG.

This week on Retro Encounter we do something we haven't done before: we discuss the SaGa series! Specifically, we dive into the opening hours of the recently remastered Romancing SaGa 2. Can we figure out the mechanics? Can we figure out where we're supposed to go? Is SaGa actually worth playing? Which panelist is insane enough to play the original? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music...

Being off Retro Encounter makes Cuno sad!

This week on Retro Encounter, our host returns to talk about a topic near and dear to him: the best and worst kids in RPGs. We know know children are usually the worst in media, so what does a good one look like? How many of them are secretly much older? Which games will some panelists never play after this conversation? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Paul Skevington; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri<...

Your tier list met with a terrible fate, hasn’t it?

This week brings Part 2 of Retro Encounter’s legendary The Legend of Zelda tier list. There are still 11 more entries to cover and the final ranking to decide. How do less popular entries like Spirit Tracks stack up against classics like A Link to the Past? How much can these guys yap about their favorite and least favorite Zeldas? Find out what our group’s Frankenstein list looks like by listening now!

Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Mike Salbato, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilker...

Retro! Retro! Kooloo-Limpah!

This week’s Retro Encounter marks the return of the tier list! This time around we’re ranking 20 entries in The Legend of Zelda franchise. What better way to celebrate 40 years of the beloved series than for our four panelists to upset each other with their differing takes? Apparently, opinions were so strong and thorough that we had to divide the lengthy recording into two episodes. What games did we prioritize for our first nine picks? What ranked higher: Zelda II: Adventure of Link or Tears of the Kingdom? The answer may or may not...

Three years hence the War of the Knights...The old ways rang of their death knell, a fresh wind began to blow. The path the one knight chose, he continued being a knight even after.

This week on Retro Encounter, our panel returns to discuss the second half of Falcom's oft-forgotten dark fantasy action RPG Xanadu Next. We cover the game's creative boss fights, the emergence of Castle Strangerock from the depths of Lake Orwell, and wax poetically about the bittersweet ending sequence. Give it a listen and find out why Xanadu Next remains one of Falcom's...

Still...An ancient castle that only appears in the mist, and a holy sword that rests therein...It's like a fairy tale! Just hearing about it makes my heart beat faster!

This week on Retro Encounter, a panel of Falcom afficianados (and one relative newcomer) explores the ruins of Xanadu Next's Harlech Island. Released all the way back in 2005 (and brought to US shores courtesy of XSEED Games in 2016), Xanadu Next is one of Falcom's oft-forgotten classics, with a dark, somber tone and slower pace influenced by Yasumi Matsuno's Ivalice universe (Vagrant Story in particular). We discuss...

This podcast is historically accurate. You can attack its weak point for massive damage.

The era of the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii was a monumental one. The advent of high-definition visuals, the improvement of online play for consoles, and unprecedented console processsing power lead to seven-plus years of generation-defining video games. Naturally, we're here today to talk about the RPGs. Today, four RPGFan panelists compiled a list of ten RPGs that debuted on one or more of the above consoles, and they have a lot to say about them. So which panelist thinks highly of Folklore? How...

…Whatever.

This week on Retro Encounter, the panel is back to offer their thoughts on all the (beautiful?) nonsense that happens in the second half of Final Fantasy VIII. Which one of us prefers Triple Triad over the entire rest of the game? Did our positive impressions crumble under the weight of the many, many plot twists? Wait. What's even going on here... and does it matter? Listen in for our definitive breakdown of the game’s achievements, flaws, and that whole trippy ending sequence.

Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Paul Skevington, Steph Sybydlo, Rob...

I dreamt I was a podcast host.

On this week’s episode of Retro Encounter, a panel of four veterans and one newbie takes advantage of Zach’s absence to play the controversial but undeniably stylish Final Fantasy VIII. How do we feel about its unconventional design and storytelling choices? Is the cast of fashionable teenage soldiers brilliantly or nonsensically written? What does “Junctioning” even mean? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Paul Skevington, Steph Sybydlo, Rob White; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Quit the idle chit-chat and let's listen to Retro Encounter.

This week on Retro Encounter, we dive into the second half of Persona 5, including all the post-game Royal content. Did this game really need to be longer? What do we think of the new content? Just how long can one game be? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Michael Sollosi; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Looking cool, Retro Encounter.

This week on Retro Encounter, we dive into the first half of Persona 5. We discuss the dazzling style, combat, and the sometimes less than dazzling structure. Who do we want to romance? Does the game still hold up? Does Morgana ever let us do anything but sleep? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Michael Sollosi; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Retro Encounter is the only reason to do anything in this life.

This week on Retro Encounter, we dive into the 2022 Obsidian masterpiece Pentiment, a game about murder, religion and the stories we tell about those things. Is there a right answer? Who do we accuse? Why are Socrates and God on the same screen? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Hilary Andreff, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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The only thing we can believe in, with absolute certainty, is Retro Encounter, Jack.

This week on Retro Encounter, we chat about bosses. But not just any bosses--no, we talk about final bosses. They're supposed to be a final challenge, but are they always? Do we even want a challenge at the end? How many bosses do we love that lose to the power of friendship? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Alana Hagues, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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...wrong. I am a podcast.

This week on Retro Encounter we dive into the second half of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. How much of the story do we actually get to experience? How much do we enjoy the late game maps? What are our favorite support conversations? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Ben Love, Lucas Greene; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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For years, I've podcasted. Now, let those podcasts show their worth!

This week on Retro Encounter we're discussing the first half of the first game localized to the West of that most famous SRPG series: Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. Does the host jive with the squares and the RNG? Do we even discuss the story? Who is the early game MVP? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Ben Love, Lucas Greene; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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All you need to do is close your eyes and concentrate. Retro Encounter enfolds you.

On this week's episode of Retro Encounter, we discuss something that has only been awarded once at RPGFan: a perfect score. So, each panelist brings on one game they think deserves a perfect score and defend it against the panel. But there can be only one! Who will be our winner? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Matt Wardell, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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I love you, and that's why I gotta listen to Retro Encounter.

On this week's episode of Retro Encounter, we chat about the twisty, turny second half of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Do all the plot points land? Who was our favorite character? Is there actually a reason they're naked in the Sentinels? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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I don't trust much in this post-war world, but if there's one exception, it's my Retro Encounter.

On this week’s episode of Retro Encounter, we're jumping through time and getting inside our mechs in the first half of Vanillaware's 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. We talk about our first impressions of the game, some frustrating encounters with crepes and cats, and the basic but addictive nature of Destruction Mode.

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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I sure hope this episode isn't BadBad.

On this week's episode of Retro Encounter, we cover the most interesting RPGs of the year, but this time, we flash it back to 1995. We discuss design decisions, varying localization quality, and those insane encounter rates. Does someone bring on a really bad RPG just for the fun of it? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Lucas Greene, Ben Love, Mike Salbato; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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I hope there is something really amazing on top. If we dont find Dragon Quest V, it is all your fault.

This week on Retro Encounter, we undertake a difficult endeavor yet again: making a tier list of one of the most popular RPG franchises. This time, it's Dragon Quest! Do things get heated? Who really loves a 100 hour game? Does anything finish in D tier? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Michael Sollosi; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Who is the greatest Western RPG developer?

This week on Retro Encounter, we're discussing the legendary history and output of Obsidian Entertainment. Four Obsidian-heads form a party and break down the developer’s different eras, from their beginnings as part of Black Isle Studios to their current output as part of Microsoft, and everything in between. Are there any Alpha Protocol apologists on the panel? Which of us is morally bankrupt enough to enjoy Tyranny? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Wes Iliff, Jono Logan, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wi...

What we need is Retro Encounter and a way to listen.

On this week's episode of Retro Encounter, we revisit one of the host's favorites: Final Fantasy Tactics. Three veterans and one newcomer discuss the job system, combat, death sounds, and that excellent story. How does the new version stack up to previous versions? Is the game still as breakable all these years later? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Michael Sollosi, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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The Second Story, the second time around.

On this week's episode of Retro Encounter, we finish up the second half of Star Ocean: The Second Story. We become friends with an ancient psychic beast, gather up the last remaining party members, wast time in the aptly named Fun City, and finally take the fight to the Ten Wise Men threatening the universe. And saw so, so many endings.

Featuring: Ben Love, Audra Bowling, Matt Wardell, Rob White, Steph Sybydlo; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

The Second Story, but first in our hearts!

On this week's episode of Retro Encounter, we got marooned on an underdeveloped planet called Expel and discussed Tri-Ace's western debut title Star Ocean: The Second Story. We compared the finer points of the PSX original with Second Evolution and Second Story R, which characters make the best party members, and how best to break the game using the special skill system!

Featuring: Ben Love, Audra Bowling, Matt Wardell, Rob White, Steph Sybydlo; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

Women, children, the elderly...doesn't matter. If you listen to Retro Encounter, you're going to have a good time.

On this week's episode of Retro Encounter, we dive into the wild and wacky world of Yoko Taro, best known for his work on the NieR and Drakengard franchises. We discuss game design, themes, and just how many Taro games one person can play in a month without going insane. Can we make sense of Taro's madness? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Pat Gann; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

If you wish to live, choose only Retro Encounter!

On this week's episode of Retro Encounter, we finally finish Drakengard. We cry, we wail. Oh wait, that's the characters. Just how messed up are the additional endings? Can anyone ever truly be happy? Do rhythm games belong in an RPG? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Steph Sybydlo; Edited by Paul Dennis

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Wise men choose Retro Encounter before war.

In this week's episode of Retro Encounter, we are in pain. Wait, I mean we're playing Yoko Taro's first directorial effort: Drakengard. We discuss the first ending, the (purposely?) frustrating gameplay, all while trying to avoid going insane. Can a game that's not fun be good? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Steph Sybybldo; Edited by Paul Dennis

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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What about podcasts? You guys got any podcasts?

In this week's episode of Retro Encounter, the host re-opens the RPG confessional, a place where we admit to series that we've never played before, much to our shame. Don't worry, though, we're just here to encourage our friends to play good stuff! Who has never touched the Xenoblade Chronicles series? What about the most famous RPG franchise in the world? Sure everyone has played Dragon Quest, right? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Lucy Gray, Paul Skevington, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

You've got to jump into the podcast!

This week on Retro Encounter, the panel is back to dig into the story-heavy second half of Breath of Fire II. Who can't stand the solo sections? Just how long can a final dungeon be? Is this the first time we killed God? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Mike Salbato, Matt Wardell; Edited by Paul Dennis

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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It is podcasts.

On this week's episode, two old veterans and one newcomer dive into the 1995 SNES RPG Breath of Fire II. A game known for its brutal grind and maybe even more brutal localization, some of the panelists still have a soft spot for it all these years later. Is the localization really that bad? How does the gameplay hold up? Do we ever get new dungeon music? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Mike Salbato, Matt Wardell; Edited by Paul Dennis

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

You hear that? Richie Marcus likes Retro Encounter!

In today's episode, the panel gets back together to discuss the second half of Fallout: New Vegas. Our conversation covers The Strip, the endgame, the DLC, and of course, Richie Marcus. Does The Strip live up to its name? Which ending did we pick? Who among us takes up cannibalism? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Aleks Franiczek, Jono Logan, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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We always love to celebrate birthdays here at Retro Encounter, and one of our all-time favourite RPGs/immersive sims has a big one coming up! Deus Ex is turning 25 years old! In honour of this momentous occasion, we've assembled a panel of fans to chat about each entry in the series.

Whether you're a fan of the original Deus Ex, the two more recent games Human Revolution or Mankind Divided, or maybe even Invisible War, we have you covered in this retrospective. Oh, and don't forget to check out the brand-new retro reviews of each game on...

You know, I tried to measure my charisma on Retro Encounter once. The microphone burst into flames.

On this week's episode of Retro Encounter, we're chatting about the opening hours of the 2010 Obsidian classic Fallout: New Vegas. Can the host finally get his head around a WRPG? Do any of us actually do the main quest? Is Fisto the greatest character in an RPG? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Aleks Franiczek, Jono Logan, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

...

This podcast are sick.

This week on Retro Encounter, we do the impossible: try to create a top 10 list for 90s RPGs. Does the best game finish at the top? Do we have anything except JRPGs on our list? Did we leave out your favorites? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Alana Hagues, Jimmy Turner; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Listeners. Do you want...our podcast?

On this week's episode of Retro Encounter, four of our panelists take a deep dive into Suikoden II. Who defends Jowy? Is Shu still be the best? How much Neclord hate can the host take? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Paul Dennis, Aleks Franiczek, Rob White; Edited by Paul Dennis

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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All of this podcasting in front of a children.

In this week's episode of Retro Encounter, four enthusiastic series veterans and one newbie get together to discuss the original Suikoden to celebrate the recent remaster. Does the game still hold up? Can we stop ourselves from talking about the series as a whole? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Kyle Cantelon, Paul Dennis, Aleks Franiczek, Rob White; Edited by Paul Dennis

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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It doesn't matter how many draft picks get stolen. We will hold the line!

Oh yes, it's time for another draft episode! This time around, we're drafting from some of BioWare's most celebrated games…alongside one or two that are a bit less celebrated. Who will steal Garrus before anyone else? How many choices will determined entirely by romance compatability? Will anyone remember Anthem exists, and does it have any memorable characters? Listen on for the answers to these questions, and more! This is guaranteed to be your favorite podcast on the Citadel!

Featuring: Wes Il...

I wanna be an RPG fan when I grow up.

This week on Retro Encounter we gather to discuss the RPGs that defined our taste. Not necessarily our favorites, but games that helped us understand what we value in an RPG or in games in general. Does Final Fantasy show up? Who likes the most obscure Metroidvanias? Who surprises the host with their love for racing games? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Lucas Greene, Ben Love, Paul Skevington; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri<...

I've traveled back in time from next week. Please listen to this episode.

This week on Retro Encounter, the panel gets back together to discuss the second half of Tales of Graces f. Our discussion ranges from the increasingly excellent combat, the less than excellent dungeon design, and the good, the bad and the ugly of the Future Arc. Which game would we like to see get the remaster treatment next? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Wes Iliff, Paul Skevington, Michael Sollosi; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music...