On this episode of Random Encounter: - The Dad Game strikes back: Our God of War discussion comes to a close (for now) as we touch once more upon its themes and how they resonate (or don't) with each of us. No spoilers. - Sollosi gives us the rundown on Monster Hunter World's new siege event versus Kulve Taroth. - We strive to save the world in The Swords of Ditto, but how far does cartoonish charm carry it? - Caitlin's been playing something old and something new; how does choice impact Stories...
May 01, 2018•2 hr 3 min
On this episode of Random Encounter: - The critical consensus for God of War is glowing, but are its themes universally resonant? - Fenner takes us on a rocket ship ride to Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor. Existential dread and mop not included. - Alana attempts to verbally remove the hex placed upon her by Witch and the Hundred Knight 2. - Derek's been playing Grandia again, and it's as beautifully whimsical as ever. - We celebrate Xenogears' 20th anniversary! Cheers to its music, mechs, and mor...
Apr 16, 2018•1 hr 55 min
On this episode of Random Encounter: -Rob may have departed the show, but his spirit (and rage) lives on. -Sollosi makes an enemy into a friend in the season finale of Batman: The Enemy Within and graces us with the term "murder pickle." Oh, what a delight. -Nathan explains why Kirito shouldn't be exercising his Second Amendment rights. -Fenner weighs in on the cutesy antics of Zwei: The Arges Adventure. -Derek explains why Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings ...
Apr 03, 2018•1 hr 24 min
On this episode of Random Encounter: -Ni no Kuni 2 does not disappoint. -Kiryu beats up a lot of people in Yakuza 6. -The Silver Case puts out some questionable content. -And Rob retires from RPGFan. No, really. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros, Robert Fenner and Mike Salbato Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Mar 22, 2018•1 hr 12 min
On this episode of Random Encounter: -Monster Hunter world is dissected. -We debate the merits of remakes (namely Secret of Mana and Shadow of the Colossus). -Wait, there's another Batman Telltale game? -And everyone seems disappointed with Tokyo Xanadu. Again. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Michael Sollosi and Robert Fenner Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Feb 22, 2018•1 hr 27 min
2017 is now the past and it's time to start getting excited for 2018. In what's become a tradition here at Random Encounter, we take a brief break to look back at the past year in RPGs and then refocus on what's coming up next. From NieR to Xenoblade, this past year gave us a ton of games to play and not enough time to do it, and we're hoping 2018 brings even more surprises. Enjoy! Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen and Caitlin Argyros Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: pod...
Jan 24, 2018•1 hr 39 min
On this episode of Random Encounter: -Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is dissected. -We give some initial thoughts on the Lost Sphear demo on the Nintendo Switch. -Derek tries to convince everyone that Romancing Saga 2 is worth it. -And the Monster Hunter World demo makes us feel... things? Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros and Nathan Lee Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Dec 21, 2017•1 hr 20 min
The latest installment of the Danganronpa series has proven to be a bit controversial given its explosive ending, so we're going to try something new with Random Encounter. In order to avoid ruining V3 for our regular listeners, we've decided to devote an entire episode to dissecting this title and all that comes with it. We would recommend only listening to this episode if you've played every game in the series, as we're going to have to spoil lots of stuff for all of this to make sense. Oh, an...
Dec 06, 2017•1 hr 14 min
On this episode of Random Encounter: -Everyone is excited to hear about the return of Valkyria Chronicles. -Caitlin regales us with tales from the frozen lands of Horizon Zero Dawn. -Rob confirms that Skyrim on Switch is Skyrim on Switch. -Derek and newcomer Nathan Lee give some thoughts on Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros and Nathan Lee Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Nov 29, 2017•1 hr 37 min
On this episode of Random Encounter: -Mike talks about South Park: The Fractured But Whole. -Derek tries to explain the history of .hack//G.U. -Rob constantly tries to derail the podcast since he hasn't played many RPGs lately. -The crew gives some thoughts on the violent trailers that came out of Sony's last press conference. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen and Mike Sollosi Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Nov 09, 2017•1 hr 45 min
On this episode of Random Encounter: -Derek discusses his complicated relationship with Chaos;Child. -Rob tries to articulate his feelings on the opening of Danganronpa V3. -Caitlin argues that we should have covered Dying Light. -Derek gushes over The Secret of Mana Collection on the Switch. -We all try to come to terms with difficulty and tedium in Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Tangledeep. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen and Caitlin Argyros Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Emai...
Oct 13, 2017•1 hr 23 min
On this episode of Random Encounter: -Alana and Derek discuss the despair of Danganronpa V3. -Caitlin tries to convince Rob that Destiny 2 is worth his time. -Everyone loves the Octopath Traveler Demo. -Something something Ys VIII is awesome something something. -And everyone should check out the Etrian Odyssey 5 demo, like, right now! Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros and Alana Hagues Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Sep 21, 2017•1 hr 38 min
This is another of our more random episodes of Random Encounter, but that gives us a chance to talk about a ton of games. We've got Pyre, Ever Oasis, Tokyo Xanadu, Miitopia, Final Fantasy XII and musings about how fun it's going to be to play Dragon Quest XI next year. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen and Stephanie Sybydlo Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Aug 19, 2017•1 hr 9 min
We've obviously got to talk about Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, so that's what you're going to hear about for the vast majority of this episode of Random Encounter. Derek, Caitlin and Steph all seem to love it, and you'd probably do well to check it out yourself. After that, Rob talks a bit about his return to XCOM 2, and then we look at Famitsu's (questionable?) list of the top RPGs of all time. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros and Stephanie Sybydlo Questions?...
Jul 25, 2017•1 hr 33 min
While our friends up north are partying away, we thought it was a good idea to check in and see what everyone's been playing post E3. It's probably one of the most random episode of Random Encounter, as we talk about everything from Diablo 3's necromancer to Tokyo Xanadu. Oh, and there's a little Breath of the Wild and NieR talk, but nothing spoiler related. Enjoy and stay cool, friends! Featuring: Robert Steinman, Michael Sollosi, Steph Sybydlo and Jesse Woo Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? ...
Jul 04, 2017•1 hr 30 min
Coming to you from a hotel room cramped with too many tired people, it's the RPGFan E3 2017 podcast! Listen as we take you through our thoughts on this year's show as well as our exciting award selection. Which games blew us away? What disappointed us? Do we really need that much Skyrim? Find out now! Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Michael Sollosi, Mike Salbato, Robert Fenner, Peter Triezenberg, Steph Sybydlo, Colin Burns and John Alas Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us...
Jun 20, 2017•1 hr 27 min
Following some Fire Emblem Echoes and Surge talk, it's off to the hallowed E3 hype discussion. What are we excited to see at this year's trade show? Can we expect any news on the Final Fantasy VII remake? What about the latest titles from From Software? Will we ever see Kingdom Hearts III? Whatever the case, join us as we mentally prepare for what lies ahead in LA. Featuring: Robert Steinman and Derek Heemsbergen Special Guest(s): Stephen Meyerink, localization specialist Questions? Comments? Sp...
Jun 06, 2017•2 hr 19 min
Well, this one kinda came out of nowhere! The podcast crew is absolutely gushing about Prey, but what exactly makes this game so darn exciting? After that, we've got to discuss The Caligula Effect, Trails in the Sky the 3rd, and we have some more (non-spoiler) thoughts on Persona 5. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros and Nick Ransbottom Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
May 10, 2017•1 hr 31 min
It's finally time to talk about Persona 5. In the interest of spoilers, we've included some timestamps in case you don't want to hear about specifics. After that, we've got a little Cosmic Star Heroine and we have to start the hype train for Dragon Quest XI. Localization talk at 33:15 Questionable social link talk at 46:10 All Persona 5 talk ends at 1:06:15 Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Robert Fenner and Michael Sollosi Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: podcast@rpgfa...
Apr 26, 2017•1 hr 30 min
It's a little early to start talking about Persona 5, so instead we're going to focus on Mass Effect Andromeda this week. After that, we've got some (brief) impressions of the latest DLC for Dark Souls 3, a few final thoughts on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and then we've got to go over the changes to Final Fantasy XV. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen and Caitlin Argyros Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Apr 06, 2017•1 hr 24 min
The Nintendo Switch is here, and the Random Encounter crew have some pretty positive impressions so far. After that, we move on to a long discussion about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a smattering of NieR: Automata, robot dinosaur hunting in Horizon Zero Dawn, and finally some initial thoughts on Torment: Tides of Numenera. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros and Robert Fenner Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Mar 15, 2017•1 hr 34 min
So, is Nintendo's mobile strategy paying off in Fire Emblem Heroes? Did Rob finally come around on Nioh? Did Michael kill all the metal slimes in Dragon Quest VIII? Can Derek hate a Digimon game even harder? And has Peter finally gotten a good Kingdom Hearts game? Find out on our latest episode of Random Encounter! Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Michael Sollosi and Peter Triezenberg Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Feb 20, 2017•1 hr 25 min
Well, we obviously have to talk about the Nintendo Switch, right? After that, we dig into Tales of Berseria, Dragon Quest VIII and Yakuza 0. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen and Caitlin Argyros Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Jan 31, 2017•1 hr 4 min
2016 has come and gone, and it's time to take our annual look at the year in RPGs. From Dragon Quest Builders to Tokyo Mirage Sessions, we run through all of the big releases this year before taking some time to look ahead to 2017. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen and Robert Fenner Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Jan 02, 2017•1 hr 37 min
Most of the crew had a chance to finish Final Fantasy XV, so we're going to wrap up our thoughts without going into spoiler territory (though you should skip ahead to minute 45 if you're really concerned). After that, we try to figure out what the hell is going on with Let it Die, and then we debate some quantum mechanics with Steins;Gate 0. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros, Robert Fenner and Stephanie Sybydlo Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: podcast@rp...
Dec 21, 2016•1 hr 29 min
We're not screwing around this week. Join us as we talk about a game many of us have been waiting nearly a decade for. Final Fantasy XV is here! Enjoy! Featuring: Robert Steinman, Caitlin Argyros, Nick Ransbottom and Stephanie Sybydlo Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Dec 05, 2016•55 min
Of course we have to talk about Pokemon Sun and Moon, but we've also got some final thoughts on all of those Dragon Quest games that have come out recently, some objections with Ace Attorney, and Jesse would kill me if I failed to mention some Echoes of Aetheria talk. Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Mike Sollosi and Jesse Woo Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Nov 21, 2016•1 hr 32 min
We've got a treat for you today, folks! Brian Heins, game director of the upcoming Tyranny, found time in his busy schedule to join host Robert Steinman to talk about the next game from Obsidian Entertainment. Time to learn what it means to be a villain in a world where the bad guys won! Featuring: Robert Steinman Special Guest(s): Brian Heins, game director of Tyranny Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Nov 03, 2016•24 min
Well, we certainly have a lot of Dragon Quest to talk about. We've got Dragon Quest Builders, and a little more Dragon Quest VII, but there's also some pretty big news going on with Final Fantasy XIV. After that, we round out the show with World of Final Fantasy, Paper Mario Color Splash, Exist Archive and the Danganronpa anime. Enjoy! Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros and John Tucker Questions? Comments? Spare Potions? Email us: [email protected]
Oct 21, 2016•1 hr 34 min
It's been a while, so hopefully we haven't forgotten how to podcast! We've got Deus Ex: Mankind Divided to augment, Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse to negotiate, and Dragon Quest VII to, uh, quest with? We're going to start tackling those emails y'all keep sending us. And to wrap things up, we've got an interview with Chris Holzworth, Lead Editor on the SMT4A localization team and RPGFan staffer from way back! Featuring: Robert Steinman, Derek Heemsbergen, Caitlin Argyros, Mike Sollosi and Nick...
Sep 24, 2016•2 hr 13 min
