Today the gang is discussing another storytelling theme: tutorials in video games. Can tutorials be creatively integrated into video game storytelling or will they forever be a “gamey” feature that disrupts our immersive experiences?
Games discussed: Bioshock, Persona, Prince of Persia, XCOM, Kingdom Hearts, Zelda, MGS, Arkham City, Call of Duty, Siren
After a long period of podcast inactivity, RtP! is back with a themed cast. Today we discuss how pacing effects storytelling in video games.
Games discussed: Panzer Dragoon, Metal Gear Solid, Uncharted, Skyrim, Modern Warfare, Half Life, God of War, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Silent Hill, Suikoden, Mass Effect, Persona, Final Fantasy, Gone Home, Myst, Zelda, The Witcher, Resident Evil, Journey
Here at RTP, we could care less about the so called “console war”. Though we may tend to poke fun at the culture and community surrounding the video game marketing industry (as you’ll see with our next set of podcasts), we are much more concerned with quality gaming experiences. We do not simply look forward to the next generation of games with regards to graphics but rather with the new and creative ways developers can tell stories within the video game medium.
While E3 might be filled to the brim with big PR announcements, new technology reveals along with some innovative/gimmick-riddled gameplay showcases, there are a bunch of previews for future game titles. So here’s a look at some highlights from E3 as seen from the point of view of those whose mouths don’t start to water at the sight of a new Call of Duty trailer.
RtP! discusses the impact that video game franchises have on the quality of storytelling in games.
Some topics covered:
Metal Gear Solid
Final Fantasy
The Legend of Zelda
Metroid
Kingdom Hearts
Warcraft
Bioshock
Suda 51
Team Ico
Fire Emblem
The MANY incarnations of Mario.
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It’s podcast #18 and RtP! has gathered together to discuss the concept of open world video games and how storytelling can work (or not) within them. Youtube video is audio only with pictures. Download MP3 below!
Games discussed, no real spoilers:
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Grand Theft Auto IV
Red Dead Redemption
L.A. Noire
Batman: Arkham City
Fallout 3
Persona 4
2011 was a good year for video games with a lot of big releases during the last quarter. I haven’t even been able to start a few that I wanted to play (thanks Skyrim!). Unlike one of my notorious accomplices b-rock, I try to dedicate my time to a single gaming experience before moving on to the next. I feel more immersed and focused on the game’s story and characters. That, or my memory won’t allow me to save multiple princesses at once. But as the year is up I must pause and reflect upon the games that have stood out among the crowd and captured my imagination.
Edited (aka BETTER) version with abundant video clips!
It’s the first anniversary of Rescue the Princess! So we’ve got Seagz as an official co-host, finally! Then we each talk about our top 3 games stories of all-time forever! Cooleto gushes over Batman! Lost Link supports Metal Gear Solid! Seagz waxes poetic about Final Fantasy AND Kingdom Hearts! b-rock chokes in rage and cries over Megaten! If you want to just know our fav games and not bother with this podcast at all, look at the About page!
Games discussed so no real spoilers:
Batman: Arkham City
Final Fantasy VII
Ghost Trick
ICO
Kingdom Hearts
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Persona 4
Planescape: Torment
Red Dead Redemption
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
So what are YOUR top 3 game stories of ALL TIME? Email or comment!
It’s the first anniversary of Rescue the Princess! So we’ve got Seagz as an official co-host, finally! Then we each talk about our top 3 games stories of all-time forever! Cooleto gushes over Batman! Lost Link supports Metal Gear Solid! Seagz waxes poetic about Final Fantasy AND Kingdom Hearts! b-rock chokes in rage and cries over Megaten! If you want to just know our fav games and not bother with this podcast at all, look at the About page!
Games discussed so no real spoilers EXCEPT FOR RED DEAD REDEMPTION (thank you very much, Cooleto):
Batman: Arkham City
Final Fantasy VII
Ghost Trick
ICO
Kingdom Hearts
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Persona 4
Planescape: Torment
Red Dead Redemption (ACTUAL ENDGAME SPOILERS)
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Blip had some encoding problems because Lost Link made b-rock change the perfectly wonderful current settings to a different size and bitrate and now WTF. Sorry! Still watchable, just no thumbnail!
So what are YOUR top 3 game stories of ALL TIME? Email or comment!
BONUS STAGE podcast! Rescue the Princess at Anime North 2011! Maybe you saw us there? Starring b-rock as Naoto Shirogane of Persona 4, Lost Link as Sissel of Ghost Trick…with special guests Seagz as Big Boss in Tuxedo Skin of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Bernie as Sailorman of Navyland! It’s the recap episode as we go into downtime to recover from our adventures! b-rock is HATLESS! Lost Link wears a HAT! Cooleto didn’t go! And Seagz is SUITED UP! Watch 2/3rds plus one of Rescue the Princess drink over the course of an hour and see the many clips and pixxx we took of the COSPLAYS at the con! Marvel at our commentary and knowledge gleaned from this experience! Weep for Lost Link’s car!
Short, edited version of podcast eight! “Small Fry”! The Zelda episode with special guest: Zelda Girl! I took a long time to put this up because I’M THE ONLY ONE WRITING GODDAMMIT I WANT A BREAK TO PLAY DRAGON AGE 2 AND SHOGUN 2 AND AW YEAH POKEMON BLACK.
Podcast episode EIGHT! Zelda episode! …um, wait, WHAT?? Did Rescue the Princess follow through on a promise from last time…? By Tingle’s beard, yes we did! We even have a special guest: Zelda Girl! We have HEATED DISCUSSION on which Zelda game is the greatest and what each game MEANS. So much literaryness that you’ll want to choke yourselves to death on rupees! Long, uncut, kinda-not-really-safe-for-work-on-account-of-HEATED-DISCUSSION, references to the path of overcoming and TONS OF ZELDA PICTURES!
Super spoilers for:
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Sorry we didn’t talk about your favorite Zelda if it doesn’t happen to be on the list! Get audio only mp3 here! So? What are YOUR thoughts on the Zelda universe? Should we get to witness a man turning into a Stalfos? Is Wind Waker the greatest Zelda of forever? Got TIMELINE THEORIES?? Email the show or post some comments!
It’s the edited, short version of “Skull Kid Guy Sucks”! THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA’S MASK episode! Rescue the Princess celebrates it and Zelda’s 25th anniversary! AND GROUNDHOG DAY!
Super spoilers for:
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Opening music jacked from “8-bit Escape from L.A. Theme”. Enthusiastically edited by Lost Link.
It’s podcast EPISODE SEVEN! Not the Bioshock episode…or even a topic episode! It’s the very, very first GAME episode from Rescue the Princess…and to mark such an occassion, it’s about THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA’S MASK! Hey, it’s also the 25th anniversary, isn’t it?? Long, uncut, highly not safe for work but with pretty, pretty pictures and sexy dancing! Special guest: SKULL KID. DAMN YOU OFF CENTER CAMERA!
Super spoilers for:
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
…OBVIOUSLY. Oh and Groundhog Day starring the eternal greatness that is Bill Murray! Get audio only mp3 here! Do you think that Majora’s Mask is LITERARY GOODNESS or GIMMICKY BOLLOCKS? Email the show or post in the comments!
It’s podcast number FIVE! Rescue the Princess crew talk about…PLAYER DEATH IN VIDEOGAMES! Sorry, Bioshock fans; BLAME B-ROCK FOR THE DELAYS! Is player death an integral factor in games? b-rock says BOLLOCKS to that! Cooleto says it’s IMPORTANT! Lost Link mediates from the middle with METAL GEAR BIAS! There’s GAMEPLAY (ewww, GAME MECHANICS, I mean!) FOOTAGE INSIDE!
Maybe kinda spoilers for:
Assassin’s Creed series (KINDA)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (LOTS)
Bioshock series (KINDA)
Fire Emblem series (NOT REALLY)
Heavy Rain (KINDA)
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (NOT REALLY)
Limbo (NOT REALLY)
Metal Gear Solid (NANOMACHINES)
Pac-man (1000% TRUTH)
Planescape: Torment (NOT REALLY)
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (NOT REALLY)
Prince of Persia 2008 (NOT REALLY)
Resident Evil 4 (NOT REALLY)
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (KINDA)
Splinter Cell: Conviction (KINDA)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (IT’S FORCE UNLEASHED)
…and some other stuff but maybe we didn’t really talk about it? Get audio only mp3 here! What do YOU think about player death? Email the show or post in the comments!
Podcast FOUR! So unlucky! But that’s ok, because this one was OBVIOUSLY FILMED ON NOT THE SAME DAY AS PODCAST THREE! The crew talks about EIGHT upcoming games of 2011 that may or may not have AWESOME stories but they better have awesome stories or heads will roll! You better look forward to these games too! Except anything from b-rock, as his selection contains far too much SEXY BEAST! ALL PODCASTS NSFW BY THE WAY!
Nintedo EAD’s The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Q1 2011 – Wii)
CD Projekt RED STUDIO’s The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (May 17, 2011 – PC)
Get audio only mp3 here! Is this the shortest UNCUT podcast from Rescue the Princess ever???? Top 3 list good and proper write-ups coming soon! HEY LISTEN write in what YOUR prophesied best game stories of 2011 will be! NOTHING FROM THE END OF THE YEAR; SORRY LAST GUARDIAN AND MASS EFFECT 3. Oh hey what’s this in April?
So in my eighteenth century literature class we talked a lot about women and how they were treated pretty poorly, what with their husbands ruling them like kings, and having them restricted to non-thinking and non-talking activities. One of my favorite things was this laughably bad women’s “conduct” book (obviously written by a male) which literally instructed women on how to behave in various situations. I think my favorite quote came in a section informing women on what to do, should they catch their husbands doing something wrong. You know, maybe you caught him sneaking sweets before dinner, or macking on some lass outside, or punching an old man in the ear. Whatever the case, the gist of the rule is to “Do not seem to look or hear that way“.