Party Chat: A JRPG Podcast - podcast cover

Party Chat: A JRPG Podcast

Cameron Hawkins and Kevin Kensonpodcasters.spotify.com
Join Cameron Hawkins and Kevin Kenson as they talk about everything in the world of Japanese Role-Playing Video Games and other Japanese titles. Whether it be news, what we've been playing, or a topic of the show, this is the destination podcast for everything JRPGs.
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Episodes

Yuji Horii on Final Fantasy and is JRPG an Outdated Term?

Cameron and Kevin discuss Yuji Hori's recent comments on Final Fantasy versus Dragon Quest. We give our final thoughts on Dragon Quest II HD-2D Remake. For topic of the show we discuss the idea of "JRPG" and "RPG" being outdated terms.

Dec 04, 20251 hr 38 minSeason 1Ep. 49

Octopath Traveler 0 Review

Thanks to Square Enix Cam has gotten the chance to put about 35 hours into Octopath Traveler 0, and wants to share his thoughts on everything he's seen so far. Here's what he thinks about the new combat adjustments for an 8 character party, how the different storytelling framework works out, and just how much of a distraction the town building can be.

Dec 03, 202533 min

The Tangent Episode w/ Retro Brandon

Cameron and Kevin are joined by Retro Brandon from Level Up Legacy Podcast. We go over Persona Directors Hashino's recent description of the term JRPG 3.0. Cameron previews Octopath Traveler 0. Kevin shares his experience at the Metaphor Round 1 collaboration and we talk about our favorite remakes and remasters. Also there are tangents. Many, many, tangents.

Nov 27, 20252 hr 41 minSeason 1Ep. 48

Hands on with Dragon Quest VII Reimagined

Kevin got the opportunity to play a preview of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined thanks to Square Enix and shares all his thoughts from what he got to play. From the new visuals to combat and class building, as well as a number of new quality of life features, here's what we've learned.

Nov 19, 202528 min

State of Play Japan and The Love of Persona w/ Slam Zany

This week we are joined by SlamZany of the Level Up Legacy Podcast. We talk about all the news that came out of this week's State of Play Japan. Kevin and Slam give their thoughts on the Octopath Traveler Zero demo. Cameron gives thoughts on Super Mario RPG. For Topic of the Show we talk about our thoughts on the Persona franchise. Our likes, dislikes and how we would like to see the franchise change in the future.

Nov 13, 20252 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 46

We Want Your Feedback

As our first year is coming to a close soon, we want to discuss our current plans for the podcast going into 2026 along with changes coming to the Patreon. Not only that, we're looking for all the feedback we can get from our listeners on what changes you might like to see, or Patreon benefits that would appeal to you! Please let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Nov 12, 202529 min

The State of Collector Editions in 2025

Cameron and Kevin discuss the newly announced Animal Crossing New Horizon Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Kevin gives first impressions for Dispatch. Cameron talks about his experience with Legends of Dragaea: Idle Dungeons. For Topic of the Show we discuss what we look for in a Collector's Edition, the ongoing backlash of Limited Run Games, and the trends of Collector's Editions from publishers over the past few years.

Nov 06, 20252 hr 8 minSeason 1Ep. 45

Mutiple Tales of Projects Confirmed and The Future of Dragon Quest

Cameron and Kevin discuss the news of the two Tales of projects in development and updated thoughts on Dragon Quest I+II HD-2D Remake. For Topic of the Show we go over our hopes and predictions of what to expect from the Dragon Quest franchise in the coming years.

Oct 30, 20251 hr 28 minSeason 1Ep. 44

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Review

Cameron and Kevin share their thoughts on Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake after having completed the first game, and making a solid dent in the second. Going over the shiny new visuals, combat updates, and the considerably expanded story.

Oct 29, 202555 min

Looking Ahead to The Future in 2026

Cameron and Kevin discuss respond to more Final Fantasy news from Naoki Hamaguchi. We give our early impressions of Pokémon Legends Z-A. For Topic of the Show we go through the 2026 release calendar and give our excitement levels for upcoming JRPGs and Eastern titles.

Oct 23, 20252 hr 36 minSeason 1Ep. 43

Upcoming Metaphor News and We Create An Ultimate JRPG Console

Cameron and Kevin discuss what news may come during Metaphor's one year anniversary. Cameron reviews Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter and Digimon Time Stranger. Kevin and Cam give their first impressions on Ghost of Yotei. For topic of the show we create a 25 game library of JRPGs that we would put together on a dedicated console.

Oct 09, 20252 hr 40 minSeason 1Ep. 41

More News out of TGS and What Makes A Good Game Presentation

Cameron and Kevin talk new details on Dragon Quest VII Reimagined and more announcements out of Tokyo Game Show. Kevin gives first impressions of Silent Hill f. Cameron gives first impressions of Lost Soul Aside. For Topic of the Show we discuss what we look for in game presentations and how they have become a reflection of how gaming has changed over the past years.

Oct 02, 20252 hr 23 minSeason 1Ep. 40

Everything We've Seen from Tokyo Game Show

Cameron and Kevin go over a ton of news pouring out of TGS, including presentations from PlayStation, Xbox, Kojima Productions, and RRG, as well as a lot of individual pieces of news coming from multiple devs as well. Episode originally had some audio problems around the 30 minute mark, but those how now been fixed!

Sep 26, 20252 hr 1 minSeason 1Ep. 39

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Review

Kevin had the chance to work through the new Remake of Final Fantasy Tactics, and shares his thoughts with Cam regarding all the various updates, whether or not they improve the game, and reflecting on what made the original so good.

Sep 24, 202537 min

When are Remakes Actually Worth it?

Cameron and Kevin discuss the development updates of Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 and Kingdom Hearts IV. Kevin reviews Hollow Knight: Silksong. Cameron gives his first impressions of Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion and Varlet. For Topic of the Show we discuss what makes a good remake and different ways they have been approached over the years.

Sep 11, 20252 hr 25 minSeason 1Ep. 37

Everything we played at PAX West ft/ JRPG Pursuit

Cameron and Kevin are joined by The JRPG Pursuit in person at PAX West to talk about everything that they played over the weekend including Pokémon Z-A, Kirby Air Riders and more!

Sep 04, 20251 hr 5 minSeason 1Ep. 36

We Played Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake w/ JRPG Pursuit

Kevin, Cameron, and the folks from JRPG Pursuit all got the chance to go hands on with Dragon Quest 1+2 HD-2D remake, playing a bit of both games! We had our dungeon delving skills put to the test with some pretty tough challenges, while also learning about new additions like spell scrolls in Dragon Quest 1, and the new party member in Dragon Quest 2! Here's our thoughts.

Sep 04, 202521 min

We Played Octopath Traveler 0, ft. The JRPG Pursuit

Kevin, Cameron, and the folks from JRPG Pursuit all got the chance to go hands on with Octopath Traveler 0, the latest entry in Square Enix's Franchise providing a new spin on elements from the mobile game spinoff, including features like town building, full 8 character parties, and faster, even flashier combat. Here's all our thoughts.

Sep 03, 202520 min

Tons of JRPG News and Are Save Points and Random Encounters Good

Cam and Kevin go over a bunch of JRPG news coming out of Gamescom and we begin our multi-part discussion on whether certain JRPG mechanics have a place in modern gaming starting with Save Points and Random Encounters.

Aug 21, 20251 hr 51 minSeason 1Ep. 34

Hands On with Resident Evil Requiem and Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Kevin got the chance to play 3 of Capcom's biggest upcoming games of 2026: Resident Evil Requiem, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Pragmata. Let's deep dive into what each demo was like, how these games are shaping up, and what our hopes are for their final versions.

Aug 20, 20251 hr 6 min

Why Game Reviews Matter with Just the Gems

Cameron and Kevin are joined this week by YouTube Content Creator Branden Johnson aka Just the Gems. We go over the delay of Crimson Desert, updated sales numbers for Capcom, and for Topic of the Show we discuss the game reviews. The pros, the cons, the misconceptions and how they can bring new perspectives and ideas on how we look at video games as a medium.

Aug 14, 20252 hr 30 minSeason 1Ep. 33
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