It’s time for a triple pod. This week, John sits down with Lorelai and Scott to talk about the Starfy games coming to switch along with some hot new NES classics. John’s finished Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne, Lorelai’s still playing the hell out of Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, and Scott regales us with tales of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth.

You can support us on our Patreon, and follow us on Twitter @TheGamesline, @JudgementScythe, FKASocks, and @John_Michonski.

Also, don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and tell a friend about the show!

If you want to send in questions send them to our ask box at gamesline.tumblr.com/ask.

You can also join our Discord channel at thegamezone.zone!

Our theme song is “Crush” by Melt Channel, from the album Magic is Real.

Edited by Lorelai

The post The Gamesline Podcast Ep. 41: 3-Sided Starfy appeared first on Gamesline.

A new week a new Podcast. This week John and Lorelai sit down to talk about the new MiHoYo game Zenless Zone Zero, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne, and of course Lorelai has been losing her life to Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. In the news, WayForward is porting Sigma Star Saga to modern places, we’re finally getting a Natsu-Mon game outside of Japan, and Uma Musume will let us live our horsegirl dreams in English. Sukeban’s putting out a new game called .45 Parabellum Bloodhound and Dead Rising is getting a promising looking remake.

You can support us on our Patreon, and follow us on Twitter @TheGamesline, @JudgementScythe, and @John_Michonski.

Also, don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and tell a friend about the show!

If you want to send in questions send them to our ask box at gamesline.tumblr.com/ask.

You can also join our Discord channel at thegamezone.zone!

Our theme song is “Crush” by Melt Channel, from the album Magic is Real.

Edited by Lorelai

The post The Gamesline Podcast Ep. 40: Zenless Star Trail appeared first on Gamesline.

We’re recovering from the Nintendo Direct but that doesn’t mean we’re done with all the game news. This week, John and Lorelai sit down to talk a little about Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, Witch on the Holy Night, Picross, game of the generation Nioh 2, and Lorelai preparing for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail in a few days. Other than that, we hit all the news around the Limited Run games event, Matt Booty continuing to have foot in mouth disease, and Dr. Disrespect’s reason for being banned from Twitch.

Potentially triggering talk around Dr. Disrespect starts at 43:50 and runs to 55:20 if you want to skip it.

You can support us on our Patreon, and follow us on Twitter @TheGamesline, @JudgementScythe, and @John_Michonski.

Also, don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and tell a friend about the show!

If you want to send in questions send them to our ask box at gamesline.tumblr.com/ask.

You can also join our Discord channel at thegamezone.zone!

Our theme song is “Crush” by Melt Channel, from the album Magic is Real.

Edited by Lorelai

The post The Gamesline Podcast Ep. 39: Limited Run appeared first on Gamesline.

Honorable Mention

No Longer Game of the Generation Nioh 2 Remastered

Look, I put 500 hours into Remastered because it’s still one of my favorite games of all time. But when it comes to the year, it just barely missed out on my top 5.

5. Guardians of the Galaxy

After Square Enix’s Marvel’s The Avengers I didn’t have much hope for this game, but then I watched one of my XIV friends streaming it and it looked… fun. I also found the writing to be pretty entertaining, and so I decided to pick it up for myself and, to my surprise, it might actually be one of the best written games of the year. The game is fun to play, and the writing is smart as hell. Feeling a lot closer to the Abnett and Lanning Cosmic Marvel than it does the movies, it’s the perfect blend of both leading to one of my favorite renditions of these characters. Especially right now where I hate what they’ve been doing with the comics in trying to make them more like the movies, and I’m not really very big on the movies.

4. Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne Remastered

Nocturne is one of my favorite games of all time and it continues to be so. Some really nice quality of life improvements, and not having to deal with Dante from the Devil May Cry series makes it even better for me. I will always love this game, and getting a new and still great version of the same game fills me with joy.

3. Forza Horizon 5

Look, I know some of these streets. I spent a good deal of time in Guanajuato so having a game that takes place there rules. The game looks and feels incredible and kept me hooked for a long time. It’s kind of wild driving into the streets of the city and knowing that if I go through this tunnel just to the left will be a blueish building where there was a nightclub I went to once. You drive through the tunnel and there is a bluish building with no signage. Hell, let’s also talk about the writing, which is shockingly authentic. I loved the story missions in this game because it felt like they did a lot to get the feeling of the area right. It rules to see a part of the world I love so much so lovingly rendered.

2. Shin Megami Tensei V

Well hey, here is a surprise, I love a Shin Megami Tensei game. I absolutely love this game, from start to finish I was pretty hooked. However, I’m not a big fan of the giant open world levels. It feels a little too open compared to other games, and the only reason this is higher on my list than Nocturne is that it’s something new, and something I genuinely love to play. You still have those moments of walking into a fight with the wrong setup and getting hit by an instant-kill, but the game offers so many ways to build out your character It’s easy to jump back in and solve the issue, leading to it being a lot less frustrating than in the past.

The character building is such an incredible strength of the game that you are never restricted to one build being optimal. I’ve played through with both a magical build and the classic SMT physical build and both felt balanced the whole way through. In Nocturne, magic could work, but you were always incredibly weak until the end of the game. In this, I never felt like I was held back like I was before. This for me makes it the perfect SMT game for newcomers to the series and I couldn’t ask for anything more.

1. Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker

We’re here, the end of a story I’ve been following since its inception. A terrible game that became an ok game that turned into an incredible game. A story that’s only continued to grow and improve and build off of itself since the beginning. I devoured the game, did every single side quest, did every optional bit to see every piece of content I could over the 2 weeks it took me to finish. I cried, multiple times, struck by the beauty of the story it told: one of hope and acceptance and love. I could not look away, and not just because I didn’t want to wait in a queue to log back in. I was hooked, and in the end, it’s been one the most meaningful gaming experiences I’ve ever had.

I’m not saying that to exaggerate. This isn’t a “Game of the Generation Nioh 2” goof, the game has made me who I am today. When I started, I was Chris, someone who always had a beard because If I look manly, maybe I’ll feel that way. Then, through Oulan, I was able to live as someone else. Yeah it might be in a game, but it still allowed myself to be… myself. And that journey, that journey has come to an end and a new one is ready to begin. One of growth and discovery that I hope will not just go another 10 years, but until the end.

So let me reintroduce myself, I’m Lorelai, and Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is my game of the year.

The post Lorelai’s Top 5 Games Of 2021 appeared first on Gamesline.

John sells his PS4, Franny is intrigued by the Project Triangle Strategy demo, Mav dives deep into The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II, and Melissa explores the released Dinosaur Planet build.

My pick for best video game train is the KiHa 58 series from Densha de Go! 3. Fight me about it.

As always you can support us on our patreon, and follow us on Twitter @VGChooChoo, @john_michonski, @arealgoldmouth, @mavsplaniamania, @erikamiaou and on instagram @fataleflare

Also, don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and tell a friend about the show! If you want to send in questions send them to our ask box at videogamechoochoo.tumblr.com/ask.

You can also join our Discord channel at thegamezone.zone!

Our theme song is “Crush” by Melt Channel, from the album Magic is Real.

Subscribe via iTunes, Hipcast, Direct Download, or listen below!

The post VGCC Episode 350: New Challengers Approach! appeared first on Gamesline.

As always you can support us on our patreon, and follow us on twitter @VGChooChoo, @john_michonski, and @judgementscythe

Also, don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and tell a friend about the show! If you want to send in questions send them to our ask box at videogamechoochoo.tumblr.com/ask.

You can also join our discord channel at thegamezone.zone!

Our theme song is “Crush” by Melt Channel, from the album Magic is Real.

Subscribe via iTunes, Hipcast, Direct Download, or listen below!

The post VGCC Episode 321: The Week of Chris appeared first on Gamesline.