Tales from the Backlog - Episodes Tagged with “Nier”

219: Drakengard (with IdolismJ)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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Join Dave and special guest IdolismJ as they tackle Drakengard (Cavia, Square Enix, 2003). Drakengard has a reputation for being bad, unplayable, interesting and edgelordy to a certain extent, and we can confirm that some, but not all of those, are correct. Drakengard challenges the player in ways that most games don't, driving you crazy alongside the protagonist. Whether the effect is intentional or accidental, Drakengard certainly left an impression on us. Listen in to find out more, and as always, no spoilers for a while!

Guest info: IdolismJ (he/him)

Check out Jay's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@IdolismJ
Support on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/idolismj
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/idolismj.yase.world

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Title Card
0:18 Introductions
4:26 Our Histories with Drakengard and Nier
7:28 Top-Level Thoughts about Drakengard
11:53 Story Setup and Kaim's Well-Being
21:40 Following the Plot
27:43 Combat- "Is It Bad on Purpose?"
40:28 Music to Go Insane to
50:14 Air Combat
58:00 Auteur Theory, Revisited
1:08:54 Art, Party Members, Voice Acting
1:18:10 Who Should Play Drakengard?
1:21:58 IdolismJ on YouTube
1:27:16 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
1:29:04 Spoilers- Things Get Worse Until They End
1:39:23 Spoilers- Ending A
1:47:44 Spoilers- Ending B
1:51:55 Spoilers- Ending C
2:00:38 Spoilers- Ending D and Some Hairy Subject Matter
2:16:49 Spoilers- Ending E and Connection to Nier

Music used in the episode is credited to Takayuka Aihara unless otherwise noted. Tracks used: Weapon Select, First Chapter - Sky, Fifth Chapter - Ground, Fourth Chapter - Ground (Nobuyoshi Sano), Fifth Chapter - Sky, First Chapter - Castle Interior, Eighth Chapter - Closing (Nobuyoshi Sano), Route C Staff Roll, Mission Clear (Nobuyoshi Sano)

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

66: Nier: Replicant (with Brian Edwards- Character Issues, Cane and Rinse)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Dave is joined by Brian Edwards of Character Issues and Cane and Rinse podcasts to discuss Nier: Replicant. Yoko Taro's 2010 cult classic got a makeover in 2021, so let's find out how it is! Nier will do anything to save his sick sister Yonah, and along the way he meets a stellar supporting cast of characters, including the stuck-up talking book Grimoire Weiss, the scantily clad badass Kaine, and the lovable Emil. Joining me to discuss the story, characters and gameplay is none other than Brian Edwards! You may have heard Brian on the wonderful Character Issues and Cane and Rinse podcasts. Brian is a wonderful person and I loved this conversation with him- you should check out Character Issues and Cane and Rinse by following the links!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:23
Story Setup/Characters/Repetition 16:09
Visuals/Music/Atmosphere 54:01
Gameplay 1:09:21
Final Thoughts/Housekeeping 1:24:33
SPOILER WALL 1:30:46

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Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

53: Nier: Automata (with Andrew Kimball - Your Friendly Neighborhood Gamers & Katie Shesko)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0500

There are some games you never forget, and my first playthrough of Nier: Automata certainly fits that category. The marriage of story, gameplay and music makes this an emotional and impressive journey. Join me, Andrew Kimball (Your Friendly Neighborhood Gamers) and Katie Shesko as we discuss this unforgettable game.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts: 1:20
Story Setup 24:50
Gameplay Shakeups 35:39
Music/Final Thoughts 1:03:26
SPOILER WALL 1:27:50

Check out Your Friendly Neighborhood Gamers at their website, YouTube Channel and wherever you listen to podcasts, and check out Katie's music on YouTube, [Twitch](www.twitch.tv/katieshesko) or Spotify! Katie's version of "City Ruins" was featured during the spoiler wall break in this episode!

[Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon!](patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Social Media:
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages

Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!