Tales from the Backlog

• 180: Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (with Erik - Pages of Play)

  Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (Don't Nod, 2023) represents a different type of game that Don't Nod has been making alongside their popular choice-based narrative games like Life is Strange and Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. With 2018's Vampyr, Don't Nod took a swing a narrative, decisions-matter action RPG, and while I liked Vampyr a lot, the decisions-matter part of it left a lot to be desired. Five years later, they took another swing at that type of game with Banishers, and really righted that specific area. Decisions matter in Banishers in a way they don't matter in most games, and it led to one of the most effective stories I've played in a while. Guest info: Erik (he/him) * Listen to Pages of Play podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pages-of-play/id1755937349 * Check out Erik's written work on So Many Games https://somanygames.co.uk/ TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:32 Intros * 5:03 Histories with Don't Nod and Banishers * 8:29 Opening Thoughts * 16:22 Story/World Setup and Characters * 28:43 Inciting Plot Event and Choice/Morality System * 37:51 Tough Choices * 48:02 Presentation and Side Quest Writing * 59:00 Combat * 1:13:37 World Design and Vibes * 1:22:50 Boss Fights * 1:27:20 Recommendations * 1:30:20 Pages of Play Podcast * 1:36:38 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-Yous * 1:38:06 Spoiler Section- Side Stories Tying Into the Main Story * 2:17:10 Spoiler Section- The Nightmare * 2:32:08 Spoiler Section- Endings Music used in the episode is credited to Trevor Morris. Tracks used: Main Menu, The Harrows, Intimate Moment- Harmony Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

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• 179: Blue Prince (with Jenny Windom)

  Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson You know a game is good when it kicks off a new round of discourse about genre names, right? Regardless, Blue Prince (Dogubomb, 2025) is the latest hit in a type of knowledge-is-power game that is really appealing to certain types of gamers. The only difference is that we seem to fully know the full depths of previous games like Animal Well, Outer Wilds, Fez, Tunic, etc....but nobody knows how deep Blue Prince goes. It's also rich with interesting design choices and contradictions, more story than meets the eye, a lowkey amazingly good soundtrack and more. Tune in for the discussion! Guest info: Jenny Windom * Check out the Geeks & Grounds game club podcast https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/ * Check out Wholesome Games https://wholesomegames.com/ * Check out Wanderstop https://store.steampowered.com/app/1299460/Wanderstop/ * Check out Jenny on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/kimchica * Check out Jenny on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/kimchica TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:28 Intros * 5:23 Personal Histories with Blue Prince * 8:50 Opening Thoughts About Blue Prince * 15:40 Story Setup and Top Level Thoughts * 17:59 Note-taking and Organization * 25:44 Drafting Mechanic, Goal Setting and Randomness * 42:55 Getting Better at Blue Prince * 47:52 "This Game Doesn't Respect My Time" * 53:28 You Said This Was a Puzzle Game * 1:03:59 Art and Music * 1:15:04 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations * 1:18:49 Geeks & Grounds, Wholesome Games * 1:25:50 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-You's * 1:28:00 Spoiler Section- Discoveries and the Quest for Room 46! * 2:16:00 Spoiler Section- How Deep Does This Go? and The Story, As We Know It Music used in the episode is credited to Trigg & Gusset Tracks used: Stories of All Manor, Vanitas, Bequest, Westwardly Winds, Visions of Emerald, Departure, The Baron of Mount Holly. Purchase the soundtrack here: https://triggandgusset.bandcamp.com/album/blue-prince-the-original-soundtrack Check out Dave's guest appearance on Flashback 64: https://flashback64.com/ Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

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• 178: Psychonauts (with Try - My Life in Gaming)

  Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson A good friend of mine likes to say "every game is somebody's favorite game", but I'm always intrigued when some oddball picks enter those conversations, and DoubleFine's Psychonauts is mentioned often enough that I felt like I had to play it someday. And my show patrons (thank you!) made it a point to vote it onto the show, so away we go for a discussion about a fascinating game! Guest info: Marc aka Try of My Life in Gaming * Check out My Life in Gaming on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@mylifeingaming * Check out The Backloggery https://backloggery.com/ TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:18 Intros * 4:46 Personal Histories with Psychonauts * 10:34 Opening Thoughts * 16:20 Story Setup, Comedic Tone * 23:48 Visual Aesthetic * 32:25 Music * 35:37 Voice Acting * 40:49 A Fun Story with Odd Pacing * 55:43 Platforming and Combat * 1:13:15 Cool But Unintuitive * 1:27:11 Wrap-Up Thoughts/Recommendations * 1:33:57 My Life In Gaming/The Backloggery/King of Games * 1:42:32 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous * 1:44:33 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to Peter McConnell. Tracks used: Title and Credits Montage, Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp, The Meat Circus, Fighting for the Cause in Lungfishopolis, Agent Cruller's Sacred Hall, The Milkman Conspiracy Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

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• 177: Split Fiction (with Aaron Angle)

  Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson Hazelight Studios were already on the map before their Game of the Year winner It Takes Two, but that game was so much fun that everyone, including me, was waiting to see what their next offering would be like. And it turns out, 2025's Split Fiction is very similar- a ton of fun to play, gorgeous graphics, bad story, and great gaming memories made with a friend. Tune in to find out more. Guest info: Aaron Angle * Check out A Top 3 Podcast https://atop3podcast.fireside.fm/ TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:32 Intros * 4:49 Our Histories with Hazelight and Split Fiction * 6:46 Opening Thoughts About Split Fiction * 11:30 Story Setup * 26:55 Loudly Bad vs Quietly Bad * 34:10 Gameplay and Difficulty * 40:17 Changing Up Gameplay * 47:57 Visuals/Music * 58:41 Truly a Cooperative Game * 1:03:46 Recommendations/Closing Thoughts * 1:10:12 A Top 3 Podcast * 1:12:51 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous * 1:14:47 Spoiler Section Music used in the episode is credited to Gustaf Grefberg and Jonatan Järpehag. Tracks used: * Gravity Bike (Gustaf Grefberg) * Split Fiction Main Theme (Jonatan Järpehag) * The Legend of the Sandfish (Gustaf Grefberg) * The Monkey King (Jonatan Järpehag) * In Memory of Blake Hudson (Jonatan Järpehag) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

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• 176: Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (with Chris Coplien - Retro Hangover)

  Support my work on Patreon (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server (https://discord.gg/bptGyEWbk7) Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson) I didn't hear about Dragon Quest for a very long time, probably an embarrassingly long time, and once I played one, I didn't....get it. It all seemed too plain, too simple, too lacking in complexity, and while a part of me was relieved to suddenly have less "homework" to do as I'm forever catching up on RPGs that I missed, part of me felt an ever-present need to "get it". Yada yada yada, I finally had another reason to try Dragon Quest, starting with Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride on DS, and folks....I get it now. Tune in to find out how I got there. Guest info: Chris Coplien of Retro Hangover * Listen to Retro Hangover https://linktr.ee/retrohangover * Check out the first of Dragon Quest V's episodes in the King of Games 1992 tournament https://retrohangover.captivate.fm/episode/king-of-games-92-round-1-match-4-sonic-the-hedgehog-2-vs-dragon-quest-v * Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/retrohangover.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:42 Intros * 6:10 Personal Histories with Dragon Quest V * 12:15 Opening Thoughts * 14:54 Story Setup/Generational Structure * 26:19 Overcoming Constraints/Presentation * 34:26 Story Themes/Cozy Charm * 45:16 Soundtrack/Influence * 56:10 Gameplay- Combat/Monster Collecting * 1:12:05 Final Thoughts/Recommendations * 1:14:45 Retro Hangover Podcast * 1:19:23 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-You's * 1:21:15 Spoiler Section- Act 1 and 2 * 2:06:04 Spoiler Section- Act 3 and Closing Thoughts Music used in the episode is credited to Koichi Sugiyama. Tracks used: Overture, Overworld, Town, Battle, Melody in an Ancient Town, The Ocean, Zenithia, Saint Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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