USgamer's Top 25 RPG Countdown Begins!

AXE OF THE BLOOD GOD | Kat and Nadia talk about Ys 8's localization woes before diving into number 25 on their list of the best 25 RPGs to date.

Article by Kat Bailey, Editor in Chief

25 June 2018

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

E3 2018 is officially done and dusted, and that means that Nadia and I can finally get to more pressing business: choosing our definitive list of the 25 best RPGs in gaming history [download link here]!

As I note in the podcast, the original impetus for this project was Game Informer and IGN posting their Top 100 RPG lists at roughly the same time last year. It made me want to put together my own list, but trying to sum up these grand hundred hour experiences in a few paragraphs felt hollow to me. So decided to give every entry its own segment in Axe of the Blood God instead!

Over the next few months, Nadia and I will be counting down our list of the top 25 RPGs in gaming history. We will talk about its history, why it stands out, some of its best moments, and of course, why it still holds up today. We'll also be doing a companion essay on the site, so keep an eye out for that as well.

Lists like these are always a little dumb and arbitrary, but they do help to put things into context a little bit. Plus it's an excuse to talk about some of our very favorite games! I hope you'll join us as we undertake this journey through RPG history.

Where to find us (Subscribe, rate, and review!)

Show Description

It's finally time! Kat and Nadia commence Axe of the Blood God's countdown of the Best 25 RPGs with an in-depth discussion of number 25 on our list! We discuss its history, what makes it stand out, some of its best moments, and ultimately why it holds up. Don't miss out! Plus we're joined by GameXplain's Ash Paulsen to talk about Ys VIII's Switch port and its ongoing localization woes.

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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Kat Bailey

Editor in Chief

Kat Bailey is a former freelance writer and contributor to publications including 1UP, IGN, GameSpot, GamesRadar, and EGM. Her fondest memories as a journalist are at GamePro, where she hosted RolePlayer's Realm and had legal access to the term "Protip." She is USgamer's resident mecha enthusiast, Pokemon Master, and Minnesota Vikings nut (skol).