Vincent Adinolfi joins Marina Ryan to talk about the development of his survival horror game Heartworm. They delve into the inspiration behind the game, Vincent’s development journey, the game’s OST, visual identity, production, accessibility, and so much more. The episode is chock-full of great development and life advice. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!* * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS:(00:00:00) Preview (00:00:36) Intro(00:03:28) Vincent’s path: working on his first game(00:04:47) Overview of Heartworm(00:05:53) The development of Heartworm & taking risks(00:09:25) The inspiration behind Heartworm(00:12:17) Heartworm’s creative direction and visual identity(00:15:35) The making of Heartworm’s music(00:30:15) Building in accessibility options(00:33:55) How difficult is it to get fixed camera angles right?(00:36:18) How Heartworm got published(00:40:10) Heartworm’s production (00:45:15) “Done is better than perfect” (vulnerability and finishing things)(00:49:49) Making games is hard(00:52:25) If Vincent could give his younger self a piece of advice…(00:55:48) Outro* * * * * * * FOLLOW USHeartworm on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1257030/Heartworm/ Heartworm: https://heartwormgame.com/ Heartworm’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vadinolfi Heartworm’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/adinolfi.bsky.social Heartworm’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heartworm.game Marina’s socials: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan Live Show on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/marinahascoffeeQuest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkersMusic by Marina Ryan
Rachel Heleva (Akupara Games, Spiral Up Games, Strange Scaffold) joins Marina to talk about her games publishing and development journey.They delve into how game publishers work, what it means to be a game scout, the importance of production, and Rachel gives tons of advice for up-and-coming studios seeking their next publishing deal. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!
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TIMESTAMPS:(00:00:00) Preview (00:00:22) Intro(00:03:00) Rachel’s path: getting into the industry(00:05:39) What is a games publisher?(00:09:10) What is a games scout?(00:10:40) Rachel’s experiencing helping start a publishing house (00:14:50) What makes an indie studio stand out?(00:18:40) What indicates to a publisher that a studio isn’t ready for funding yet? (00:21:33) What indicates to a publisher that a studio is ready for funding now?(00:24:28) How have Rachel’s production skills helped her in her publishing and scouting work?(00:27:15) How has Rachel’s production experience helped her identify a studio’s ability to deliver on their timelines? (00:32:33) What advice would Rachel give her younger self?(00:34:47) Words of wisdom for studios (00:37:07) Outro(00:37:27) Q&A: How did Rachel first get into her role? (00:39:36) More advice for studios (feedback, playtesting, making games publicly) FOLLOW USRachel’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hlywa.bsky.s... Marina’s socials: https://linktr.ee/marinahascoffeeLive Show on Twitch: / marinahascoffee Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkersMusic by Marina Ryan
Kate Gray (Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Moonstone Island, Dimensional Double Shift) joins Marina Ryan to talk about her game development journey.
They delve into what it’s like being a games writer and narrative designer, player agency and dialogue writing, the challenge of writing item descriptions, what it’s like working in VR, narrative procedural generation, Dragon Age, and more.
Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00:00) Preview
(00:00:28) Intro
(00:03:08) Kate’s Intro
(00:04:53) Kate’s path getting into game dev
(00:13:48) What Kate is most proud of
(00:16:30) Writing item descriptions and dialogue
(00:19:21) Player agency & writing dialogue choices
(00:22:51) Seeing writers’ voices in games
(00:23:55) Narrative design & writers rooms
(00:28:19) Kate’s creative process
(00:31:25) Working on VR games
(00:35:28) The fun and chaos of narrative procedural generation
(00:44:16) Dragon Age: Inquisition, branching dialogue systems, & realistic characters
(00:51:34) What advice would Kate give her younger self?
(00:53:44) Wrap up
(00:57:00) Q&A: Writing about impactful emotions in cute, cozy games
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FOLLOW US
Kate’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hownottodraw.bsky.social
Marina’s socials: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Live Show on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/marinahascoffee
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Music by Marina Ryan
#gamedevelopment #gamedeveloper #gamedev #gamedevpodcast #videogamewriting #narrativedesign #videogames #hellokittyislandadventure #moonstoneisland #dimensionaldoubleshift #dragonage
Anna C. Webster joins Marina Ryan to talk about her game development journey.
They delve into what it’s really like being a games writer, how narrative design roles vary from studio to studio, their love of the Resident Evil series, and much more.
Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00:00) Preview
(00:00:40) Intro
(00:04:30) How Anna got into game development
(00:08:30) Training as a performer
(00:10:00) Lesser-known facts & misconceptions about being a video game writer and music composer
(00:19:03) Using theatre techniques in game writing
(00:21:51) What does a narrative designer do?
(00:26:33) How narrative designers collaborate with QA
(00:28:32) Talking freelancing
(00:34:05) How we got into Resident Evil
(00:38:55) Our favourite Resident Evil games
(00:41:41) Our Resident Evil hot takes
(00:44:26) Our love of Code Veronica and Ada Wong
(00:46:18) Resident Evil hot takes continued
(00:48:57) Favourite narrative moments in Resident Evil
(00:55:49) Resident Evil 9
(00:58:56) Raid!
(00:59:39) What advice would Anna give her younger self?
(01:1:44) Outro
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FOLLOW US
Anna’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/annacwebs.bsky.social
Anna’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@annacwebs Anna’s Website: https://annacwebster.com/
Marina: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Live Show on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/marinahascoffee
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Music by Marina Ryan
David Kazi (Hollow Knight, ExoOne, Ember League) joins Marina Ryan to talk about his game development journey.
They delve into what it was like working on Hollow Knight, the challenges that came with working on orbital physics for Exo One, and David’s journey in co-founding his own game studio, including what it means to bear the ever-changing role of Creative Director.
Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00:00) Preview
(00:00:30) Intro
(00:02:30) How David got into game development
(00:10:37) What it was like working on Hollow Knight
(00:17:53) What it was like working on Exo One (moving from 2D to 3D development)
(00:23:47) David’s journey starting up Ember League
(00:27:28) Ember League’s debut game
(00:29:26) Excitement and hope in working on games
(00:32:10) Overcoming challenges when working on a game
(00:39:49) The role of Creative Director – what does David work on week-to-week?
(00:47:33) The importance of curiosity
(00:52:22) David’s game dev philosophy
(01:01:00) Game engines, indie game development, and player expectations
(01:08:20) What advice would David give his younger self?
(01:11:56) Outro
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FOLLOW US
David: https://x.com/davidkazidev
Ember League: https://x.com/ember_league
Marina Ryan: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Live Show on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/marinahascoffee
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Music by Marina Ryan
Terran joins Marina to talk about writing video game music.They delve into: how they start a new piece of music, overcoming writer’s block, talent vs. skill, iterating and acting on feedback, the importance of music theory, and more.Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!* * * * * * * TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(07:04) What games we’re playing (08:50) How Terran got into music composition(12:10) The need to create(15:13) How Marina got into music composition(17:23) How we come up with musical ideas(21:51) The importance of music theory(23:26) “Your chronic mistakes are your style”(25:23) Iterating when writing music(27:53) Making fast decision is a superpower + organizing sessions(30:16) Steps of making music(32:10) Favourite tools for music making(35:52) Learning from reference tracks and song studies(37:38) Do we listen to music differently now? (39:02) Favourite time signature (40:50) What advice we have for our younger selves + the subjectivity of music + translating the ideas we have in our head (45:29) “Talent is a myth; it’s just love over time” (47:05) Terran’s dream project(48:28) Game music we love (56:30) Outro + thank you(57:40) Post-episode chat: coming back to music with fresh ears(58:32) Post-episode chat: the fear of using up ideas (1:00:42) Post-episode chat: writer’s block(1:03:44) Post-episode chat: working on a team + getting feedback + listening sessions + staying organized FOLLOW USTerran: https://bsky.app/profile/terrancam.bsky.socialUnbound Drift: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3339860/Unbound_Drift/Marina: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan Live Show on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/marinahascoffeeQuest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkersMusic by Marina Ryan
Fletch joins Marina to talk about working on games, streaming, and community building.
They delve into: the importance of creativity, getting into game development and streaming, building safe communities, and the importance of game vision, player experience, and accessibility.
Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(04:33) What is a Playdate? + Physical releases of games
(08:25) How Fletch got into game development and streaming
(14:50) How did the first Fletch Fest come about?
(17:13) The importance of creativity, joy, and whimsy
(19:06) The growth of Fletch Fest
(22:18) Welcoming in raiders & shoutout to Lana Lux
(23:40) Working as a solo dev vs. working with others
(26:15) The importance of game vision and game direction
(30:17) Designing for player experience
(33:03) Accessibility in games
(34:27) What is Xtris?
(37:43) Games Fletch is playing
(42:46) What advice would we give our younger selves?
(46:22) Outro + thank you
FOLLOW US
Fletch: https://linktr.ee/paullicino
Fletch’s Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/fletchmakes
Marina: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Thank you again to Lana for the raid: https://www.twitch.tv/lana_lux
Live Show on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/marinahascoffee
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Music by Marina Ryan
Paul Dean joins Marina to talk about working in creative roles within the gaming industry.
They delve into: creative practices, habits, and techniques, what it’s like to work on a game dev team, the importance of feedback, following one’s curiosity, and time, privilege, access, and opportunity in the industry.
Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(06:26) Pacific Drive nominated for a Nebula Award!
(09:51) Everything is interconnected (a discussion on teamwork in game dev)
(18:46) Paul’s writing practice, habits, techniques, inspiration
(29:19) Process and production in video games
(32:00) Best practices for working on a team
(47:25) Following our curiosity
(1:09:40) A creative process isn’t linear (there’s no *one way* to do something)
(1:17:29) Time, privilege, access, and opportunity
(1:26:39) Video games we’re playing
(1:35:04) Outro + thank you
FOLLOW US
Paul: https://linktr.ee/paullicino
Paul’s Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/paullicino
Marina: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Monty Zander’s Resident Evil 1 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr-XJUMs6SE
Live Show on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/marinahascoffee
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Music by Marina Ryan
The Souls Squad is back! Sherveen, Jack, and Marina are back again to talk about the intersection between games and their disciplines in the gaming industry.They delve into misconceptions about their work, the importance of feedback and iterating, cohesion between music and game systems, some of their favourite things about what they do, and games they love. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!
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TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(04:04) What games we’re playing(19:12) What games inspired us to eventually work in gaming(37:52) What video game music inspires us(44:30) Misconceptions about working in our disciplines & talking about feedback (1:05:03) Congruence between music and game systems (1:09:18) Some of our favourite things about our work(1:19:10) Games we wish we could play for the first time again(1:28:36) Outro + thank youFOLLOW US:Live Show on Twitch: twitch.tv/marinahascoffee Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkersSherveen: https://bsky.app/profile/suduwana.bsky.socialJack: https://bsky.app/profile/jackalexroberts.bsky.social Marina: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan Music by Marina Ryan
We’re back! Happy new year! Blue joins Marina once again to talk about the games they’re playing and what they’re looking forward to playing this year. They also delve into Blue’s area of expertise: video game localization, what it entails, and what game does it really, really well. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat! ***********
TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Show intro (01:37) Blue’s intro (06:28) What Blue is playing (+ thoughts on ludonarrative dissonance and bugs) (10:38) Does working in games rob us of the joy of playing games? (13:08) Chatting about Octopath Traveller (17:38) Marina’s backlog (18:10) Chatting about Signalis + what Marina’s playing (21:18) The localization and writing of Final Fantasy XIV (37:40) Games we want to play this year (51:24) What are our comfort games? (54:53) Outro + thank you (57:33) Chatting with Twitch chat
*********** FOLLOW US: Live Show on Twitch: / marinahascoffee Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers Blue: https://rhapsodyin.blue/ Marina: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan Music by Marina Ryan
The Souls Squad is back! Marina sits down with Sherveen and Jack to talk about Elden Ring’s DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree.
They talk about the expanded lore of the Land of Shadow, their favourite narrative themes, their DLC builds, and their favourite bosses and music.
Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!To check out our prior Elden Ring episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KixVOo4TH0
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro and what games we’re playing (08:57) Story overview (11:28) Our DLC builds (18:23) Narrative moments that stood out to us (39:39) Favourite narrative themes (56:45) Favourite bosses (and notable mentions) (1:17:34) Final thoughts (1:33:29) Is Malenia still the hardest Elden Ring boss? (1:39:16) Outro
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FOLLOW US:
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Sherveen: https://bsky.app/profile/suduwana.bsky.social
Sherveen’s Game, Midautumn: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1582380/Midautumn/
Jack: https://bsky.app/profile/jackalexroberts.bsky.social
Jack’s Writing: https://tposedgaming.wordpress.com/
Marina: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Music by Marina Ryan
(Note that this episode was recorded back in August 2024)
Marina sits down with Rachel - who’s worked as a producer at game studios and in game publishing - to talk about the games they’re playing, and what they want to play next.
They talk about games of all sizes and genres, including beloved indies, new releases, and AAA classics.
Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(03:00) What Rachel is playing (Cobalt Core, Against the Storm,
(11:40) Marina loves Hades & Rachel is playing Hades II
(12:49) What Marina is playing (Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail)
(18:00) Games that Rachel loves (Disco Elysium, Blue Prince)
(21:44) Games that Marina loves (Nier: Automata, Hollow Knight)
(24:50) What Rachel is playing next (Cataclismo)
(26:43) What Marina is playing next (Outer Wilds, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus)
(33:33) Rachel getting back into Apex Legends? + Kingdom Two Crowns + Marina loves FF7 Rebirth’s Queen Blood and Animal Crossing
(37:21) Industry Talk: SAG-AFTRA Strike, Layoffs, & The Difference between AI and GenAI
(44:08) Outro
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FOLLOW US:
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Rachel: https://bsky.app/profile/hlywa.bsky.social
Marina: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Music by Marina Ryan
Marina sits down with Myleah - Founder of Lumikha Cosplay Resale - to talk about Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
They chat about the game’s charm, sarcasm, and cheekiness, robots gaining sentience, and why Vivian is so amazing.
Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(10:12) Story Overview
(12:57) Why this is Myleah’s favourite game
(16:40) Cheeky, sarcastic tone of the game
(20:46) Favourite characters
(24:45) Narrative theme of found family
(26:20) Sense of adventure
(20:30) Can machines feel emotions? + Exploring serious themes
(36:10) Bowser and Kammy are Team Rocket
(28:25) The music
(43:50) Spooky Twilight Town
(45:30) Favourite environments
(49:20) Paper mechanics
(53:25) Outro
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FOLLOW US:
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Myleah: https://x.com/METTALEAH
Marina Ryan: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Music by Marina Ryan
Marina sits down with returning guest Ren to talk about the games they’re currently playing.
They talk about collecting mermaid items in Animal Crossing, how the Elden Ring DLC feels like an entire sequel, Stardew Valley’s similarities to the original Animal Crossing, the cheekiness of Paper Mario, and our love for Final Fantasy XIV.
Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat!
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(05:38) Animal Crossing
(12:12) Elden Ring DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree
(20:24) Stardew Valley
(28:14) Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
(32:03) Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
(53:38) Outro
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FOLLOW US:
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkersRen: https://renraven.carrd.co/ Marina Ryan: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Music by Marina Ryan
Marina sits down with Xander from Xander’s Cut to talk about Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3.
They talk about the importance of foreshadowing, whether Xenoblade 2’s DLC was better than the base game, their thoughts on Xenoblade 3’s ending, and their favourite musical pieces.
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(06:00) Overview of the games
(11:37) Pyra and Mythra’s story
(16:55) Is Xenoblade 2’s DLC better than the base game?
(22:53) Favourite music
(28:25) The ending of Chapter 5 in Xenoblade 3
(33:21) Xenoblade 3’s final act and ending
(38:55) Moebius as characters & a critique of capitalism
(44:03) Favourite characters
(49:22) Final thoughts and outro
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LINKS & SOCIALS:
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Xander: https://www.youtube.com/@xanderscut/featured
Marina Ryan: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Marina sits down with Thomas Roland to talk about the second half of the mainline Resident Evil series.
They talk about why it matters to have character-driven stories in the horror genre, their favorite moments and twists, and what game they think is the scariest in the entire series.
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(06:17) Overview of the games
(16:09) Why character-driven stories matter in horror games
(22:18) Favourite moments in RE5
(28:04) Favourite moments in RE6
(33:16) Favourite moments in RE7
(38:44) Favourite moments in RE8
(46:31) Playing the sideline games
(47:37) Scariest Resident Evil game?
(50:25) Final thoughts and outro
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LINKS & SOCIALS:
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Thomas Roland: https://x.com/itsRhet
Lore Dump: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGhgiyBSgi4pVaR7pQK6IIQ
Monty Zander: https://www.youtube.com/c/MontyZander
Marina Ryan: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Marina and Minnie sit down to talk about one of the most beloved games of the last 2 decades: The Sims.
They talk about player-led emergent narratives, the stories they crafted for their Sims, how differently they played the games, the chaos of co-op mode, the first time they saw the Grim Reaper, and their particular fondness of The Sims 2.
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(05:05 Game overview
(07:38) What Sims games we’ve played
(09:28) Sims 2 is peak Sims
(11:28) The Sims 4 is still adding content
(13:57) how we played The Sims
(28:28) The Grim Reaper, guinea pigs, fires, swimming pools, and Sunny the clown
(40:15) Would we stream The Sims?
(42:20) Why is The Sims so beloved?
(45:17) Final thoughts and outro
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LINKS & SOCIALS:
The Sims GDC Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjuOSgPdtS0
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Minnie’s socials & Etsy store: https://linktr.ee/leminnie
Marina’s socials: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Marina sits down with Zack Parkerson to talk Nier once again, but this time, we’re trading in Replicant for Automata.
We talk about Nier Automata’s masterful narrative design, how it misdirects the player until the very end, our favourite side quests, and why we love this game so much.
Grab some headphones, make a coffee, and let’s talk about one of the greatest games ever made.
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Introductions & What We’re Currently Playing
(09:51) Story Summary
(10:37) Is This “Depression, The Game?”
(14:08) A Deeply Human Game
(15:59) The Philosophy Debate
(17:08) Nier Automata’s Narrative Design
(19:39) Nier Reincarnation & Drakengard 3
(20:56) Mastery in Misdirection
(30:37) Favourite Builds
(35:07) The Music
(40:03) Should You Play Automata or Replicant first?
(46:18) Favourite Side Quests
(52:11) Final Thoughts & Wrap Up
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SOCIALS:
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Zack’s socials: https://twitter.com/GOcastZack
The Gaming Outsider: https://thegamingoutsider.com/
Marina’s socials: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
Marina sits down for a solo episode and the first one on our new segment, Side Quest!
She answers some community questions and dives into Elden Ring’s new DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, FFXIV and Dawntrail, FF7 Rebirth’s upcoming release, Baldur’s Gate 3, Bloodborne, and Resident Evil 7. A HUGE thank you to our community for all the support.
Grab some headphones, make a coffee, and let’s talk games.
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:49) Elden Ring DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree
(08:53) FFXIV & being caught up on MSQ
(09:59) FF7 Rebirth & reflections on Final Fantasy 7
(13:58) Baldur’s Gate 3 Act 3
(14:51) Bloodborne NG+ fashion run
(17:57) Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
(20:53) Music & more community questions
(24:50) Outro
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SOCIALS:
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Marina’s socials: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan