Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Podcast

If this wasn't an RPG podcast we could have talked about Ace Combat the entire time. But luckily for you it IS an RPG podcast so Eric, Nadia, Victor, and special guest Len Hafer discuss all their most-anticipated RPGs of 2026 (and possibly beyond)! From the newest Fire Emblem to re-releases of GBA cult-classics, from Inaba to Singapore, from tactics to action; it's all here, baby, on this very futuristic episode of Axe of the Blood God! Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: First person to correctly guess what picture Victor put in chat during the Monster Hunter Stories 3 segment gets a shout-out on the next episode But which part of the Divinity trailer is the grossest? How to get into Ys Anime Music Videos Note: Microsoft and the Xbox brand remain subjects of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement for their complicity in the ongoing apartheid and genocide of Palestine. In the interest of journalism we've chosen to cover Microsoft but encourage you to visit https://www.bdsmovement.net/microsoft for more information. Timestamps: 8:32 - Main Topic - Hidden Gems of 2025 1:29:26 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Welcome to VA-11 HALL-A - [VA-11 HALL-A] Games Mentioned in this Episode: Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy .45 Parabellum Bloodhound Monster Hunter Stories 3 Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Persona 4 Revival Final Fantasy XIV 8.0: Noonballoon Dragon Quest VII ReImagined Zero Parades: For Dead Spies Divinity Varsapura The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales Code Vein II Blood of the Dawnwalker Mina The Hollower Sigma Star Saga DX Pokopia Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Big Walk Terra Invicta Abyss X Zero Duskbloods Queen's Domain Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Been A Good Year For Games™ and Nadia, Eric, and Victor are ready to decide just how good. From the biggest smash hits like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to the pluckiest indie darlings like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, we're covering it all!So place some bets on your favourite RPGs of the year and warm up your vocal chords to yell at your phone; It's the 2025 Axe of the Blood God Awards! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Literally nothing else. See below for the categories and see below that for the lists of nominees. Note: Microsoft and the Xbox brand remain subjects of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement for their complicity in the ongoing apartheid and genocide of Palestine. In the interest of journalism we've chosen to cover Microsoft but encourage you to visit https://www.bdsmovement.net/microsoft for more information. Timestamps: 0:00 - Main Topic - The Blood God Awards! 3:28 - Favourite Blood God Moment 8:08 - Best Non-RPG 12:48 - Best Art Direction 19:12 - Best Innovation 28:40 - Best Revival 38:56 - Best Menu Screen 45:52 - Best Moment 56:08 - Coolest Move 1:02:56 - Best Combat System 1:15:44 - Best Music 1:21:08 - Best Party Member 1:29:20 - Best RPG of 2025 1:16:16 - Random Encounters 1:40:16 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook Awards Nominees: Favourite Blood God Moment:- Kat's Sendoff- Not Eric Playing Final Fantasy 6 lol- The Gonster- History of Sound Novels- Victor liking sexy ladies Best Non-RPG:- Blue Prince- Donkey Kong Bananza- Shadow Labyrinth- Hollow Knight: Silksong Best Art Direction:- Stray Children- Artis Impact- Hades 2- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Best Innovation:- The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy- Elden Ring: Nightreign- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Best Revival:- Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter- Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D- Raidou Remastered- Tokimeki Memorial: forever with you - emotional- Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles Best Menu Screen:- Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition- Digimon Story: Time Stranger- Monster Hunter Wilds- Not Persona 3 Reload- Citizen Sleeper 2- Hollow Knight: Silksong- Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles Best Moment:- Processing Grief - The Promise of Tomorrow - Patch 7.3 - Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail- End of Act 1 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33- End of Chapter 12 - Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition- Grinding for Advanced Classes - Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles- The Gommage - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Coolest Move:- Throw Rock - Final Fantasy Tactics- Elemental Genesis - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33- Giga Slash - Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Best Combat:- Raidou Remastered- Citizen Sleeper 2- Octopath Traveler 0- Demonschool- The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy- Elden Ring: Nightreign- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Best Music:- Octopath Traveler 0- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33- Hades 2- Into the Mist - Patch 7.4 - Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail- Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Best Party Member:- Estelle Bright - Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter- Elma - Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition- Susie - Deltarune- Maelle - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 RPG of the Year:- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33- The Hundred Line Last Defense Academy- Hades 2- Quartet- Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter- Demonschool- The First Berserker: Khazan- Fantasy Life i: The Girls Who Steals Time- Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma- Pokemon Legends Z-A- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II- Monster Hunter Wilds- Octopath Traveler II- Kingdom of the Dump- Shrine's Legacy- Citizen Sleeper 2- Elden Ring: Nightreign- Deltarune- Everhood 2- AvowedFurther Reading:2024 Sharlayan Dropouts Valentione's Day SpecialMusic in this Episode:Oasis in the 100 - The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like a cave behind a waterfall or a treasure chest just out of the camera's view, so to will these games make you feel special just by the nature of finding them. Some of 2025's best RPG experiences are tucked away in the corners of your local digital storefront but luckily Eric, Nadia, Victor, and special guest Lucas White are here to point you in the right direction. Whether you're looking for a mystery dungeon, a first-person dungeon crawl, or something with a bold art direction like you've never seen; this list will have something for you to cap off your year! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Don't support retro handhelds that perpetuate the military industrial complex Larian under fire for use of genAI Falcom under fire for use of genAI Update on Horses League of Legends 2? Note: Microsoft and the Xbox brand remain subjects of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement for their complicity in the ongoing apartheid and genocide of Palestine. In the interest of journalism we've chosen to cover Microsoft but encourage you to visit https://www.bdsmovement.net/microsoft for more information. Timestamps: 5:36 - Main Topic - Hidden Gems of 2025 1:16:16 - Random Encounters 1:40:16 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] Adventurer's Guild - [Wizardry Variants: Daphne] Games Mentioned in this Episode: Shujinkou Romancing SaGa Minstrel's Song Remastered International Ys: The Oath in Felghana Road to Empress Crescent Tower Angeline Era Capcom Picross Battle Suit Aces House of Necrosis Lunacid: Tears of the Moon Suikoden I & II Remaster Sunderfolk Artis Impact Look Outside Wizardy Variants: Daphne Baroque-ya Quartet OFF He Is Coming Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Wagotabi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curl up with a hot cup of coffee (or did I lie and it's actually cold?) and warm up by the agidyne+3 because it's time to discuss our favourite frosty friends in RPGs. From ice-based monsters to wielders of frost magicks, it's the guys (of any gender) that keep things cool. Plus, the Keighleys have come and gone and it's our journalistic duty to cover them. What was announced, who won, and why it's all a frustrating ordeal to think about. It's Cold Guys and Hot Takes here on a very chilly episode of Axe of the Blood God! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Which Shiva scissors the most? Let's WendiGOOOOOO! Why we love to hate The Game Awards Kat Bailey Presents Divinity Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Sweeps Timestamps: 9:20 - Main Topic - Cold Guys 1:02:32 - Random Tavern Encounters Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Snow Light - [Tales of Symphonia] Jingle Bells - [Linda^3] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a name like "Wishvale" there's no way that town wasn't going to get torched at the beginning of an RPG.Does this adaptation of a gacha mobage manage to sell itself as a standalone single-player console RPG? Eric, Nadia, and special guest Jesse Vitelli are here to discuss Octopath Traveler 0 and whether it can come in under the wire as a contender for RPG of the Year. All this and so much more on this episode of Axe of the Blood God! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Missed opportunities with character skits Final Fantasy XIV Patch 7.4 Promise Mascot Agency Metroid Prime 4 Timestamps: 15:04 - Main Topic - Octopath Traveler 0 1:00:00 - Random Encounters - FFXIV Patch 7.4 1:17:42 - Random Encounters - Promise Mascot Agency 1:24:46 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Battle 1 - [Octopath Traveler 16-Bit Arrangements] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices