Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Atelier Yumia Review and Series Primer w/ Lucas White Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

The only two good things to come out economic recession.

Eric, Nadia, and special guest Lucas White are here to give the long-running, cult-classic Atelier series it's flowers. But can the latest entry, Yumia, hang with the Ryzas and the Maries and the Irises and the Eschas and the Logys? Listen up to find out!

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:

Should you play Final Fantasy XIV constantly?
The cultural importance of The Problems Clown
Wizardry Variants Daphne
Nadia rolls credits on Monster Hunter Wilds
New merch by Nina Matsumoto available now at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com

Timestamps:

08:00 - Main Topic - What is Atelier?
49:32 - Random Encounters
52:32 - Tavern
1:19:28 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Reminiscent Hill - [Atelier Ayesha]

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Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Review, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Preview, and More w/ Aidan Moher Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

Oscar season has passed but the stars are still out; all 108 of them!

Kat, Nadia, and Eric are joined by a special guest who literally wrote the book on Suikoden; Aidan Moher! They discuss the ups and downs of the recently released remaster and whether they are the versions of Suikoden you should play!

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:

Other Suikoden news of varying quality!
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Adult Swim memories

Timestamps:

10:24 - Main Topic - Suikoden I&II HD Remaster
51:12 - Random Encounters
1:08:00 - The Tavern - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
1:32:16 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
A Bustling Town - [Suikoden II]

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Axe of the Blood God 500: 10 Years of the Podcast, 10 Greatest RPGs Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

Wanna feel old?

Well don't! You're only 10 years older than you were when Axe of the Blood God started and if you placed the entirety of your life so far in Carl Sagan's cosmic calendar you would exist as a mere blip in the final second of the final day. But there's never been a better blip to exist in than this one if you're really into RPGs! So join Kat, Nadia, Eric, and Victor as they discuss what they believe to be the finest RPGs the last 10 years had to offer.

Whether you're a new listener or you've been with us since the beginning, thank you for your support. Here's to 10 more bloody years!

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 Direct update!
A very special appearance by Ben Starr
New merch by Nina Matsumoto available now at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com

Timestamps:

06:20 - Main Topic - Top 10 RPGs of the Past Ten Years
1:42:52 - Random Encounters
1:57:46 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Matoya's Cave (Airship Cruise Beats Version) - [Square Enix Airship Cruise Beats]

*SPOILERS*

THE FINAL LIST:

10- Octopath Traveler II

9- Xenoblade Chronicles 3

8- Persona 5

7- Fire Emblem: Three Houses

6- NieR: Automata

5- Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

4- Elden Ring

3- Undertale

2- Baldur's Gate III

1- Disco Elysium

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Monster Hunter Wilds Review, Final Fantasy x MtG, and More! Feb 24, 2025

Show notes

It's just another MonHun Monday!

Bring your Cool Drinks to survive the Hot Takes in our review of Monster Hunter Wilds. Will this be the entry that makes MonHun skeptics take the leap? Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss this Elder Dragon-sized game!

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:

Final Fantasy x Magic: The Gathering
Remembering 10 Years of Blood God
Why are we not excited about new Avatar?
NetEase layoffs
Lunchboxes!

Timestamps:

05:20 - Main Topic - Monster Hunter Wilds Review
40:52 - Random Encounters - 10 Years of Blood God
59:12 - The Tavern - Final Fantasy x Magic: The Gathering
1:17:52 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
The Village of Wind and Meadow - [Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate]

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Avowed Review, State of Play, and More w/ John Carson Feb 17, 2025

Show notes

Obsidian's new covert entry in the Pillars of Eternity world is out now; but is it just a Skyrim-like? I don't mind telling you upfront; no. But what IS it, I hear you screaming? Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest John Carson are here to tell you!

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 February Cornucopia of RPGs
Pokemon TCG Pocket update!
The State of Magic: The Gathering
*hacker voice* I'm in

Timestamps:

05:04 - Main Topic - Avowed
43:02 - Random Encounters
1:00:48 - Magic: The Gathering
1:12:46 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
South Town Guitarist ~ Summer - [Tokimeki Memorial 2]

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Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Review, Final Fantasy Live Letter, and More w/ Jason Fanelli and Leana Hafer Feb 10, 2025

Show notes

The only thing orthodox about this episode of Axe of the Blood God is the allusions the Catholicism! Eric is joined by special guest Leana Hafer to talk RPG news and they're both joined by other special-guest Jason Fanelli and other other special guest Nadia Oxford to dig into one of the biggest RPGs of 2025 so far; Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

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:

Mechabellum
Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter feat. Victor's Mini-Dropouts
Civilization VII
Eric's Final Fantasy XII update
Video games are water

Timestamps:

07:12 - Main Topic - Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
56:26 - Random Encounters
1:23:08 - The Tavern
1:44:28 - Leana's Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
Pub - [Boktai DS]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Chaotic Bar - [Phantasy Star Online ]

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Shorter RPGs Without Sacrificing Story, Citizen Sleeper 2, and P3 Reload Final Thoughts Feb 03, 2025

Show notes

It is once again Letter Tiiiiiiime.

Kat, Nadia, and Eric answer YOUR burning questions like: What are some big freaky guys?

If you'd like a chance to have your letters read on a future episode join us over on the discord!

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 future of BioWare after layoffs
How to handle spoilers and learn to appreciate the journey
Final thoughts on Persona 3 Reload
Getting very bad grades

Timestamps:

04:22 - What Will Major Franchises Look Like When The Creators Are Gone?
12:48 - What Cybernetic Parts/Tattoos Do You Want?
19:36 - How Do You Pick A Game Back Up?
26:24 - Will We See A World With Shorter RPGs?
34:08 - Newsletter Wishlist
39:44 - Freaky Big Guys
44:28 - Should We Bring Back Fixed Camera Angles/Pre-rendered Backgrounds?
48:24 - What Folklore and Myth Would You Like To See Explored?
52:24 - Plans For More Audio Commentaries?
58:40 - Random Encounters
1:03:24 - The Tavern
1:20:16 - This Week In Gekkoukan
1:30:40 - Citizen Sleeper 2
1:27:44 - 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]
Here She Comes - [Xenosaga Episode II]

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Are We In A Turn-Based Renaissance? Jan 27, 2025

Show notes

If it is then Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is looking like The Birth of Venus.

Why did turn-based RPGs ever fall out of vogue? Did they ever? Kat, Nadia, and Eric discuss the mainstream resurgence of the turn-based RPG and wether we might be seeing even more on the horizon. All that and more on this menu-based 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:

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Post-Mortem
Dynasty Warriors: Origins
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana
The Fast And The Furious is the Yakuza of movies

Timestamps:

05:50 - Main Topic - Are We In A Turn-Based Renaissance?
46:20 - Random Encounters
49:24 - The Tavern
1:27:44 - 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]
Spumoni - Franca's Cafe - [Phantasy Star Online 2]

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Switch 2 Reactions, Remembering David Lynch, and More w/ Jon Cartwright Jan 21, 2025

Show notes

The Switch 2 is here!

Well, it's THERE. Somewhere. But now we know that when it gets HERE it will look like that! And sometimes that's all you can ask for in this crazy world.

Join Kat, Nadia, Eric, and Good Vibe's Gaming's Jon Cartwright as they discuss everything we know and everything we DON'T know about Nintendo's new console.

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:

Remembering David Lynch's monumental influence on gaming
The dark side of Mario Paint
Kat's Final Fantasy XIV Progress report!

Timestamps:

04:16 - Main Topic - SWITCH 2 REVEALED
59:44 - Random Encounters
1:36:32 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]
A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana]
Audrey's Dance - [Twin Peaks]

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Why Is Everything An RPG? w/ Reb Valentine Jan 13, 2025

Show notes

If everything is an RPG then nothing is an RPG.

Nadia, Eric, and special guest Reb Valentine are here to discuss the RPG-ification of games over the past decade and change; what does it mean to adopt RPG-like mechanics? When are systems metaphor for player action and when are they a means to pad out a progression loop for commercial value? Are either of those things better than the other? All this philosophy and more, Horatio, on 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: