115: Xenogears (with Michael Berger - Bits of Time)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 01 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Xenogears, by Square, is one of the big RPGs of this era that I wanted to check off. As a fan of the Xenoblade Chronicles games and JRPGs in general, going back to the root of the series felt like an interesting trip back through history. A few things had initially put me off, like all of the talk about an unfinished second disc and heavy use of religious and philosophical material that I would have to research outside of the game. And I'm happy to report that both worries were unfounded- the second disc is great, and I actually did feel compelled to go learn things outside of the game! This is a fantastic, flawed game, and it was a joy to record about it.

Joining me to discuss Xenogears is Michael Berger, co-host of Bits of Time. You can check out Bits of Time on their podcast and their YouTube channel! You can also check out Michael's books, Ayla: A Science Fiction Novella and The Consumed.

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:06
Story Setup 14:29
Story Pacing/Characters/Religious & Philosophical Themes 27:56
Visuals/Music 42:07
Gameplay/Combat 53:32
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:07:04
SPOILER WALL 1:16:53

Music used in the episode was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda. Tracks used: My Village is Number One, Bonds of Sea and Fire, Light from the Netherworld, Emotions, Shevat ~ The Wind is Calling, Steel Giant, Yggdrasil, Flight, Fuse, The Valley Where Wind is Born, The Treasure Which Cannot Be Stolen, The Beginning and the End, Small Two of Pieces (with vocals by Joanne Hogg)

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

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57: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (with Kolby - Switch it Up)

Dave Jackson — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0500

I thought I knew what to expect from Xenoblade Chronicles 3 as a series fan, and in some ways, I was right. The gameplay, soundtrack, world design and combat were what I knew to expect from a Xenoblade game, to varying degrees of enjoyment. But the story and worldbuilding absolutely blew me away, in a series known for story and worldbuilding! And I was lucky enough to be joined by Kolby from Switch it Up podcast to discuss! You can find Switch it Up on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Twitter!

TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:18
Story Setup/Story Thoughts 15:37
Gameplay/Exploration 39:29
Combat 50:22
Music 1:02:35
SPOILER WALL 1:16:34

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

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Tales from the Backlog - Episodes Tagged with “Xeno Series”

115: Xenogears (with Michael Berger - Bits of Time)

57: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (with Kolby - Switch it Up)