Episode 8 - Silent Hill 2

Final Fantasy VII is a landmark title not only for the JRPG genre, but for all video games.  First released in 1997 and developed by Square, it took the format of the previous games and brought them to life with 3D models and environments.  Featuring an ambitious and creative setting, a complicated plot with intrigue and a seemingly deep and engaging combat system, the game seemed to be firing on all    cylinders.  Critics and fans alike adored the game to pieces, and even today there are legion's of players who will cite Final Fantasy VII as their favourite game of all time.

But how has time truly treated this once overwhelmingly impressive title?  Our ability to construct graphical setpieces goes far beyond what was possible in 1997.  Combat systems have come a long way, developed into something far more sophisticated.  And are the characteristics and story really as impressive as they were when the game first released? 
Has Final Fantasy VII truly stood the test of time?

On this week’s episode, we discuss:

• Final Fantasy VII’s cinematic set pieces fuse and random battles, cutscenes, in-game cutscenes, exploration, minigames and music in a continuous flow.  Is this a compelling way to do story telling, or does it just come across as quaint?
• The characters of Final Fantasy VII are notoriously underwritten, with their dialogue being just flat out bad and uninteresting, or is there something special lurking underneath?
• The combat present is a complicated mix of summons, magic, materia, mazes and random encounters. How does it all stack up when you put it all together?

We answer these questions and many, many more on the 117th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Musicc: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Final Fantasy VII OST: Nobuo Uematsu

How did our thoughts on FF7 stack up to your own personal experience?  Is FF7 the best final fantasy game, or does it rank middle of the road?  What JRPG should we tackle next?  

Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

Support the show monetarily on our Buy me a Coffee Page!

Rain World is a game that was released to very mixed reviews.  With a whopping 59 on Metacritic, it was panned for its controls, difficulty, tedium and general obtuseness.  But take a gander at the community reviews and you get a very different picture.

The thing is, Rain World can at times be all the things that its critics hate so much that they give it a lower score than your generic AAA Ubisoft game that comes out every 6 months.  It controls nothing like Mario.  It kills you frequently and uncaringly.  Its checkpointing and karma systems do force you towards a kind of repetition, and its refusal to explain anything does mean you have to experiment to understand the world in front of you.

But does a different philosophical approach to game design really deserve this kind of heat?  Is Rain World’s expectation that you learn by doing, instead of gradually ramping up difficulty with careful tutorializing, really that bad?  Is it, perhaps, that the very thing many critics loathe about the game, exactly what makes Rainworld truly shine?

On this special 116th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast, we play the cult classic Rain World, and do our best to cut to the heart of what it’s all about.

On this episode, we discuss:

• What is the fundamental gameplay loop of Rain World actually like?  Rain World is a game that resists easy definition or explanation, shrouded in mystery and misunderstandings.  We break down what our experiences of actually playing the game was, from start to finish.
• How well do Rain World’s many systems gel together?  Are the Karma Gates that bar your progress from region to region an essential part of this system, or do they sometimes force the player into a cycle of tedious repetition?
• What did we think of Rain World’s story?  How does Rain World deliver its lore to the player, and was there perhaps a more effective way to get the details of the story  across?

We answer these questions and many more on the 116th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Rain World OST: James Therrien

What were your experiences like playing Rain World?  Did you like how the story was delivered or was it just too much?  What modern game should we play next?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

You can support the show monetarily on our Buy me a Coffee Page!

The Ancients of Rainworld’s solution to everything

It's that time of year again!  For most of our episodes, our format is identical - we play a game, then discuss and review it.  Once a year, however, we take a break from the format at christmas time for our Mailbag episodes.  These are some of our favourite episodes to do - we take a break from the norm for some offbeat discussion about games both old and new.

Thank you to everyone who submitted questions on our discord server.  As always, having you all to listen is exactly what makes the show worthwhile and we’re very grateful for your support.  

So please, grab a cup of cocoa and relax as we answer those burning questions that are on everyone’s minds!

On this episode, we discuss:

• What are Pat and James’ top 5 favourite games of all time?
• What is an opinion on video games that you have always wanted to defend but that nobody has ever asked about?
• Has doing the podcast changed your opinions in any significant way?

We answer these questions and many more on the 115th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

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If you have any more questions or have suggestions for games for us to play, please swing by our community discord server!

If you would like to support the show monetarily, we have a Buy Me a Coffee page!

Ensemble Studios blew the world away with Age of Empires way back in 1997.  It took a different approach to the RTS formulae than Westwood or Blizzard, and was rewarded heavily for it.  Being able to advance your entire civilization's technology level was a heady drug, and balancing the varied needs of your economy with a well rounded army was strategically engaging.  After releasing a sequel and pumping out a couple of expansions they decided to try to add something genuinely new to the formulae.

So just a few years later, in 2002, we got the spinoff Age of Mythology.  It was extremely well received on release - while the teching to later ages was still there, Age of Mythology expanded the role of heroes, added more factional diversity, had a wide range of mythical units to complement your army, and even added god powers that could make or break the tide of battle.  It seemed to just be Age of Empires++, a more fun and flavoured take on what made everything in the original great.

But does adding mythical units with no active abilities compare to the caster units in Starcraft?  Does the extreme focus on macroing an economy up with its slower pace combat make the game tedious?  Does Age of Mythology truly stand side by side with the other RTS giants, or is it fated to become a forgotten spinoff, just one game to litter the RTS graveyard?

On this episode, we discuss:

• Age of Mythology doubles down on the economic focus of Ensemble Studio games, adding faith as an additional resource alongside food, wood and gold.  Is it fun trying to optimise your economy, or does this come at the cost of more high octane battles?
• Many RTS campaigns suffer the issue of every mission boiling down to building a max population army, then attack moving into the enemy, destroying everything in your wake.  Does Age of Mythology succumb to this problem, or does it have a solution?
• How enjoyable is the combat of Age of Myhology?  Do the autocasting abilities of myth units and heroes allow for your to micro them effectively?  Does the relatively low lethality of units make fights exciting?

We answer these questions and many more on the 114th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Age of Mythology OST: Stephen Rippy, Kevin Mcmullan

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Pat guested on the Nostalgia Goggles Podcast to review and discuss Starcraft!

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Is Age of Mythology better than Age of Empires 2, or just different?  Are there modern RTS games that you have played that have eclipsed Starcraft 2 or Warcraft 3?  Which RTS game should we play next?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

Next episode we’re doing our annual mailbag, so if you have any questions we’d love if you’d drop by!

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If you enjoy the show and want to support us monetarily, please check out our Buy me a Coffee Page!

Blood, first released in 1997 by Monolith Studios, was the middle child of the big three Build Engine games, sandwiched in between Duke 3D and Shadow Warrior.  Its combination of gory horror-inspired visuals combined with action filled FPS gameplay was a huge hit at the time of release, but has slowly faded in many people’s memories.  Both Quake and Half Life loom larger in most people’s memories than Blood, and the question must be asked: why?

Is there a good reason that Blood has become one of the dark horses of the boomer FPS genre, known mainly to connoisseurs of the genre?  Or has the quality of 2.5D shooters been massively overstated?

On this episode, we discuss:

Weapons

• Blood has a quirky roster of weapons, including a flare gun as pistol, an aerosol can with a lighter, and a voodoo doll sniper.  Are these weapons just silly gimmicks, or do they all serve their purpose as part of your arsenal?

Level Design

• Bloods level design is, for the most part, compact and filled with secrets joining levels together.  Does this create a coherent sense of place, or does the abundance of tunnels just turn the level into an awkward mess?

Aesthetics and Presentation

• Blood’s story is very barebones, but is filled to the brim with references to 80s and early 90s horror films.  Can a reverence for a genre of film carry an aesthetic, or is this just a case of Borderlands syndrome where its all references and no substance?

We answer these questions and many more on the 113th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Blood OST: Daniel Bernstein, Guy Whitmore

Retro Hangover Duke 3D podcast featuring Pat!

Does Blood truly have the best shotgun in any video game?  
Are there any boomer shooters which you think are better than Blood?  
What modern game best captures what Blood is all about?  
Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

To support the show monetarily, check out our Buy me a Coffee Page!

Metal Gear Solid 2 was easily the most hotly anticipated game for the Playstation 2.  The first game had blown everyone away, and the jaw-dropping graphics of previews combined with the quality of the animation in cutscenes seemed almost too good to be true.  

Luckily for fans everywhere, MGS 2 appeared to live up to its wild expectations, getting almost universally glowing reviews.  It seemed that MGS 2 had expanded upon the first game in every single way, including having an even more convoluted story.  But for all its praise, there were hints of critique and backlash around the edges if you looked hard enough.  The change of protagonist definitely pissed a lot of people off, and opinion was divided over whether the ending was brilliant or just a self indulgent mess of ideas awkwardly stapled together.

So is Metal Gear Solid 2 still a game worth playing today?  Or are there flaws in this acclaimed classic that have been long forgotten?

On this episode we discuss:

Gameplay.

In what ways has the core mechanics of sneaking around a complex changed from Metal Gear Solid 1 to 2?  Are these differences meaningful in changing how you engage with the game, or are they just surface level changes with murdering enemies at range with a silenced pistol still being the best approach?

Characterisation.

One of the most memorable parts of the original Metal Gear Solid was its wacky roster of villains, all with their own questionably fantastical super powers.  Does MGS 2 continue this proud tradition, or are the enemy bosses in the game lacklustre in comparison?

Story.

To call Metal Gear Solid 2’s story complicated is a massive understatement.  To what degree does it manage to hold together its threads of conspiracy, philosophy and free will?  Does it all come together in a cohesive whole, or is it just a load of nonsense?

We answer these questions and many more on the 112th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Metal Gear Solid 2 OST: Harry Gregson-Williams, Norihiko Hibino

What was your favourite part of Metal Gear Solid 2?  Does Fortune get as much hate as she deserves, or should she get even more?  Which stealth game should we play next?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

You can support the show monetarily on our Buy me a Coffee Page!

Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 was a staple of many people’s PC desktop screens back in the early 2000s.  Nestled in between the big hitters like Warcraft 3 and Diablo 2 you would find this odd game that straddled the line between simulation and video game.  Developed by Infogrames Interactive, it saw Chris Sawyer continue the work he put into the first game, with more rides and tools to tweak your park to whatever specifications you desired.

Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 features over a hundred attractions, a plethora of themes and a roller coaster physics system that is completely ludicrous in terms of detail.  But in the pursuit of building a sandbox sim, did Chris Sawyer forget to add a compelling video game to the mix?  Or is this just ultimately an empty and lifeless recreation of rides going round in circles for all eternity?

On this episode, we discuss:

• Intrinsic Rewards.
  Does Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 do enough to incentivise the player with extrinsic gameplay rewards?  Are the intrinsic rewards of seeing your park grow and come together enough to make the game a worthwhile use of your time?
• UI/UX.
  How good is the UI for managing your park and specifically for building roller coasters?  How well does the game teach the player how best to run their park?
• Visuals.
  How good does the game look?  Is there more to the low pixel graphics that meets the eye, and what’s the difference between a new untouched park and one that has grown to completion?

We answer these questions and many more on the 111lth episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 OST: Allister Brimble

Do you know how to build the mighty roller coasters that we struggled so much with?  Are there actually that many differences between the first three games, or are they all essentially identical?  What other management style games would you like to see us play?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server

If you’d like to support the show monetarily, please check out our Buy me a Coffee Page!

It feels like Metal Gear Solid barely needs an introduction.  First released in 1998 for the playstation, it launched Hideo Kojima into the western spotlight and has been credited as a foundational game in the stealth genre.  It combined a cinematic presentation with a larger than life cast of villains that somehow never broke through how seriously the game seemed to take itself.  There was an attention to detail here that blew people’s minds upon release, not only in the level of interactivity but also the many easter eggs and secrets scattered throughout the game.

But for all its critical acclaim, and its renowned legacy, is Metal Gear Solid still a fun game to play today?  Every single entry in the series innovated in a big way, and Metal Gear Solid was the first 3D title to come out.  Were pundits at the time just wowed by what was essentially a glorified tech demo, or is Metal Gear Solid still a worthy title to play to this day?

On this episode we discuss:

Stealth

Metal Gear Solid is credited for the revitalisation and popularization of the stealth genre.  But just how good is the stealth gameplay here really?  Is it as good as the later games in the series, and how does it hold up in comparison to its contemporaries like Thief?

Story

The Metal Gear Solid series is famous for its batshit insane storytelling, wacky villains and twists and turns.  How well does the first game execute on its story, and how does it use cutscenes and codec calls to reveal character’s personalities and philosophies?

Action

Metal Gear Solid isn’t just a stealth game, and features a heavy dose of action particularly towards the end of the game.  How well realised are the action setpieces compared to the stealth?

We answer these questions and many more on the 110th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Metal Gear Solid OST: Maki Kirioka, Kazuki Muraoka, Togo Project

Which Metal Gear game is your favourite?  Are the original Metal Gear 1 and 2 worth playing today?  Do you prefer to play the game with or without the radar?  Come let us know what you think, and recommend us games to play on our community discord server!

You can support the show monetarily on our Buy me a Coffee page.

In the 90’s turn based strategy and tactics games were everywhere, but by the turn of the millennium the RTS genre was stealing its thunder.  So it was a surprise to most when in 2001 Advance Wars seemingly came out of nowhere and presented a tight and refined dose of tactics to the Western world.  Its jovial and enthusiastic tone won over a lot of people, but what really stood out was just how robust its systems seemed to be, promising deep tactical options far beyond what first met the eye.

Advance Wars seemingly ticked all the right boxes.  It appealed to newcomers and veterans alike, it had a charming presentation, and it seemed balanced enough to make its multiplayer battles something worth pursuing.  Why is it then, that we’ve seen no more Advance Wars games in over a decade?  Why did games of its ilk seemingly die out in the mainstream, relegated to indie spin offs like War Groove?  Does Advance Wars have something special about it worth playing all these years later, or does its stripped back design make it an ultimately boring and lackluster experience?

On this episode, we discuss:

Aesthetics and Presentation

• Advance Wars shies away from the horrors of war with its story and aesthetic, with beautifully drawn sprites and a narrative that is more about squabbling friends than armies clashing to the death.  Does this work in the game’s favour, or is it impossible to tell a war story without getting into the awful realities of violence?

UI and Learning Curve

• Advance Wars has a very clean UI, and gives the player a lot of information at their fingertips to make the best decisions.  Does this make the game too easy to the point where it plays itself, or does this clarity of information let the player learn the relative strengths of units at a rapid pace?

Strategy and Balance

• Just how well balanced is Advanced Wars, and does it really matter?  To what degree to you get to delve into the full strategic possibilities on show here within the playtime of Advance War’s campaign?

We answer these questions and many more on the 109th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Advance Wars OST: Taishi Senda

You can check out the competitive online Advance Wars community (AWBW) here!

Is the new game+ of Advance Wars really as brutally difficult as its reputation suggests?  In what way do the sequels change the core gameplay (if they change it at all?)  Which faction leader is the best?  Come let us know what you think, or recommend us a game to play on our community discord server!  

You can support the show monetarily on our Buy Me a Coffee Page!

Power fantasies are the norm for video games.  We play them to blow off steam, to escape into another world where we can let our worries drop away.  But Pulse Entertainment wanted to do things a little differently when they developed Bad Mojo in 1996.  They wanted to put the player in the little brown shell of a cockroach.  

 You play as Roger Samms, who, on the verge of embezzling a million dollars, gets transformed into a roach.  You crawl around the disgusting tenancy where you live, feebly pushing small objects in an attempt to get back to your real self.  Your options are limited, and the world is a very scary place with spiders, cats and deadly poison everywhere you go.

Does Bad Mojo, with its undeniably gross aesthetic and limited perspective bring it all together into a cohesive video game?  Or is this just a buggy mess?

On this episode, we discuss:

Aesthetics.

Bad Mojo has a very unique look and feel, thanks in large part to its 3D scanning of dead animals.  Has its visual design held up to this day?

Story.

This game comes from the glory days of the FMV sequence, long before professional actors had become commonplace in the gaming world.  Does the amateurish acting here hurt the immersiveness of Bad Mojo, or does it just give it a different feel?

Controls.

Bad Mojo has an extremely simple control scheme, with you only controlling the roach with the directional arrow keys.  Does this limit the possible depth of puzzle design, or is this a case of simpler being better?

We answer all these questions and many more on the 108th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Bad Mojo OST: Xorcist

Have you played any other games where you’re absolutely tiny in a regular world?  Are there any other games out there which share something similar to Bad Mojo’s aesthetic?  Is this the worst voice acting you’ve ever heard?  Let us know what you think on our community discord server!

You can support the show monetarily on our Buy Me A Coffee page!