Axe of the Blood God: The 2017 RPG Year in Review Spectacular

Axe of the Blood God is our weekly RPG podcast hosted by Kat Bailey and Nadia Oxford. You can find the previous episodes here.

In this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God (download link here), Nadia is out sick! So it's up to Mike to valiantly step in for the great 2017 RPG in Review Spectacular!

As I highlighted in my Top 10 Games of the Year list, it's been an absolutely incredible year for RPGs. So many games! Between Divinity: Original Sin 2, Persona 5, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and even second-tier releases like Tales of Berseria, there was hardly time for them all. Nevertheless, Mike and I do our best to highlight the best of a packed year in the midst of picking our Five Essential RPGs of 2017. So pour yourself a glass of eggnog and enjoy the final Axe of the Blood God of 2017!

Want to share your thoughts on RPGs? Email us at usgamer@usgamer.net. We may read your letter on the show! Keep those Perfect RPG Teams coming, folks!

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Show Description

With Nadia out sick, Kat is instead joined by Mike to talk about the year in RPGs, argue about Horizon Zero Dawn, and pick the five essential RPGs of 2017. We've got a lot to cover, from Final Fantasy XIV's expansion to Persona 5 to Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valentia, so buckle up!

Music from Axe of the Blood God is courtesy of Lena Chappelle, who has also contributed the themes to Active Time Babble and Roleplayers' Realm. I also use music from the RPG Music Pack over at rpgmaker.net. Check it out!

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#1 mattcom26 8 months ago

I’ll use your mention of Cosmic Star Heroine to once again suggest a full conversation on this gem or a game! Maybe the further excuse will be its release on the Switch (whenever that happens)? Dare I suggest even a Cosmic Star Heroine Report? I dare!Edited December 2017 by mattcom26

#2 Pandalulz 8 months ago

Oh man, that comparison to FFXIII. I'm playing through it now (quit after 30 hours the first time when it came out, now about 40 hours into it again). Weirdly, I don't remember having any issues with it the first time, but now, every battle, boss or not, feels like I'm smashing my face into a wall. I still don't really get the weapon/item upgrade system as it feels like I never have any materials or cash. And paradigms are cool, but there's a bunch of enemies on Eden that do so much AoE damage, that I'm just constantly having to spam heals to stay alive. Sentinel taunts and saboteur debuffs fail 75% of the time. While I'm still progressing, I feel like I'm missing something vitally important.

#3 SIGGYZtar 8 months ago

Get well soon Nadia! Awise a like a phoenix for 2018!

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#4 nadiaoxford 8 months ago

Thanks, Mike, for taking over, and sorry, everyone! I'll see you in the new year for sure. :) That's a promise / threat.

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#5 riderkicker 8 months ago

Hey, I still take umbrage in you two denying Yakuza its RPG status as all you do is fight enemies for money and experience, you eat things, sleep in bars, and have many sidequests. If you consider Kingdom Hearts with its keyblade swinging, or Mass Effect with its shooting, then those aren't RPGs.

#6 Maxbeedo 8 months ago

If I may try to defend Horizon: Zero Dawn: Many of the audio logs and hidden datapoints told stories that stuck with me long after I finished the game. The vantage points hidden throughout the world tell a lengthy story of a drug-addict who stumbles upon the knowledge of the end of the world coming and how his mom turned his life around. He wasn't a "hero scientist" working to stop the end, but a flawed person who dealt with his inevitable death the best way he could. Many of the audio logs tell stories like this, people who were not perfect but handled the coming apocalypse in their own ways. The main sci-fi concept behind the game was one I had not seen before (similar, but not identical), and the impressive graphics and voice acting helped me to identify with the characters and setting very strongly, so I ended up being deeply affected whenever I found an old log telling the story of an unrequited love or last-minute regrets. Nier: Automata raises issues with identity but I didn't quite connect with the androids or machines as much, and it didn't make me cry like HZD sometimes did (or Yakuza 0's post-credits scene did). I spent over half of the year completing everything in HZD, Nier: Automata and Yakuza 0, so this was an amazing year for open-world action RPGs (or action adventure with RPG elements, gets fuzzy these days).

#7 Jonnyboy407 8 months ago

Do we need to start a Xenoblade 2 Anonymous Group? We can all support each other for liking the game but being embarrassed about it? ;D

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