In this pilot episode, Em and roommate Harley (in his podcasting debut) begin an exploration into the hit 2004 TV show Lost, deep diving into the first half of season 1. We cover the essential characters, the narrative structure of present day and flashback, and begin to unpack the many J.J. Abrams' mystery boxes that defined the series as a cultur…

Pete, Chris, and Braden return to the magical world of old anime to cut through the 1997 adaptation of Berserk! Join them as they discover why the Golden Age arc keeps getting remade, why we need to put a big old CONTENT WARNING in front of this episode, and why every single Dark Souls game owes a lot to this series. There's also plenty of talk abo…

In this episode Gino and Pete are joined by Jess "VoidBurger" O'Brien to discuss Silent Hill 2 Remake! We cover the game from Otherworld Silent Hill to the end of the game! Is this the best way to experience Silent Hill 2? Spoilers abound so listen at your own peril! You can find Jess's work at https://twitter.com/VoidBurger, https://www.youtube.co…

In a surprising upset, Off the Deep End covers a video game they enjoyed playing; from this year no less! That's right, Braden and Chris take a break from "The Bad Xenosaga" and "The Bad Mass Effect" to talk about the retro-inspired indie RPG Skald: Against the Black Priory. They discuss its cosmic horror story, extremely 1989 aesthetic, and the wa…

In the third episode of Amateur Hour Adam "Borgmaster" -REDACTED-, Tyler "Grav" -REDACTED-, and Gino traverse all of the conferences of the NFL and give 6 minute takes on their current states. We cover every team before checking in on the current states of Adam and Tyler's models. They may be... less good than they were last time. If you can, pleas…

In this episode Gino and Pete are joined by Jess "VoidBurger" O'Brien to discuss Silent Hill 2 Remake! We cover the game's new camera, new combat, excellent audio design, and reworked setting before diving into the story beats! We cover everything up until the hospital and spoilers abound so listen at your own peril! You can find Jess's work at htt…

In this episode Gino, Chris "ZombiePie" -REDACTED-, and Jeff Rud discuss Final Fantasy IV! We cover the game from it's opening until Tellah's death. We also discuss the game's combat, strong storytelling for its era, and various version quirks we ran into. We also have an obligatory food review! If you can, please donate to help our friends in Ashv…

In this episode Gino, Chris "ZombiePie" -REDACTED-, and Braden "ArbitraryWater" -REDACTED- discuss some standout demos they played in the latest Steam Nextfest. Games covered include: Loco Motive, New Arc Line, Kletka, Is This Game Trying To Kill You, Card-en Ciel, Wormhole, Ballionare, StarVaders, TemTem Swarm, To Kill A God, Tenebris Somnia, Butc…

In this episode Gino, Pete, and Em discuss 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. We discuss a little gameplay and then SO MUCH STORY OH MY GOODNESS. Spoilers! Spoilers Everywhere! This game is just so much. It's got plot twists within plot twists within tropes! If you can, please donate to help our friends in Ashville recover from the impact of Hurricane Helene…

Off the Deep End's [REDACTED] trio is back with another historically charged, tangent-filled episode on console ports of RPGs after the mid-90s. If you ever wanted to know about the Playstation 1 version of Diablo, the PS2 version of Deus Ex, or Braden's feelings on Megalopolis, we have you covered! If you can, please donate to help our friends in …

In the second episode of Amateur Hour Adam "Borgmaster" -REDACTED-, Tyler "Grav" -REDACTED-, and Gino traverse all of the conferences of the NFL and give 6 minute takes on their current states. We cover every team before checking in on the current states of Adam and Tyler's models. Have they been accurate or have they been a fun goof? If you can, p…

In this episode Gino, Pete, and Em discuss Thirsty Suitors, a hybrid dating sim, RPG, and skateboarding game. We start off spoiler free by discussing the three different styles of gameplay in Thirsty Suitors. After that we discuss the game's incredibly queer and Asian American, specifically Indian American story. If you want a game that's like Scot…

Put your thinking cap on, throw your PC in the garbage, and get that Old Nintendo setup ready. It's time for three men in their 30s with silly internet handles talking about old RPGs, but specifically worse versions of those old RPGs that came out on the Famicom or TurboGrafx or something if you didn't own a $800 (in 1992 money) computer. If you wa…

*Sorry for the audio desync issue with the original release of this show. We're using a new recording software and it's given us some hiccups. Enjoy this new, tighter, synced show! Gino, Pete, and Em discuss the samurai epic Trek to Yomi! We discuss the game's excellent look, repetitive combat, and archetypal story. If you want an action game that …

Gino, Pete, and Em discuss the samurai epic Trek to Yomi! We discuss the game's excellent look, repetitive combat, and archetypal story. If you want an action game that looks like a Kurosawa film and plays like many action other action games, Trek to Yomi is here for you! Please consider donating to the National Network of Abortion Funds: abortionf…

In this episode Gino, Chris "ZombiePie" -REDACTED-, and Jeff discuss FF BE and All The Bravest! We delve deep into the recesses of mobile FF games and break down the most, and least "successful" Final Fantasy mobile games. One game kept Square afloat. One managed to get a "do not buy" from IGN. Which is which? Listen to find out! Check out the curr…

In this episode Gino, Pete, and Em discuss Monster Hunter Rise! We talk about the legacy of the Monster Hunter franchise, whether the game's very specific control scheme worked for us, and then dive deep into whether we are supposed to feel bad for the monsters. Are we all Mon Hun fanatics or did we bounce off the game? Listen to find out! Please c…

We finally did it folks, we made a football podcast. In the inagural episode of Amateur Hour Adam "Borgmaster" -REDACTED-, Tyler "Grav" -REDACTED-, and Gino discuss what the heck American football is, make several pre-season predictions about the many NFL teams, and wrap things up by going through the most terrifying thing of all: bespoke statistic…

The year is 2003. You're stuck on a car ride to your grandmother's house with a Game Boy Advance in hand. The only thing standing between you and crushing boredom are the three portable video games Braden, Chris, and Adam are covering on this episode of Off the Deep End. Will you be able to harness the power of the sun in Boktai, train your Medabot…

In this episode Gino, Pete, and Em discuss the indie horror/narrative game Slay The Princess. We spoil the heck out of this game and discuss all of the ways to slay the princess and what that slaying means. This game goes a lot of places folks. It feels like a honey pot for the sorts of stuff we like to analyze. Please consider donating to the Nati…

In this episode Gino, Chris "ZombiePie" -REDACTED-, and Jeff Rud discuss FFIV... all 10 plus versions of it! We discuss all of the different revisions, re-releases, and remasters of one of the most beloved FF games of all time. We wrap up by explaining which versions we're each playing and why. Check out the current Ranking of Fantasies here: bit.l…

In this episode Gino and Pete are joined by Jess "VoidBurger" O'Brien to discuss SOMA! We discuss the game's horror mechanics, undersea setting, and existential questions. We dive extra deep into our favorite topics of personhood and what constitutes life! Get ready for even more discussion of The Ship Of Thesius! You can find Jess's work at https:…

When you think about the most important RPGs from 2001, what do you think of? Final Fantasy X? Arcanum? Throne of Bhaal? Well, Braden "ArbitraryWater", Chris "ZombiePie", and Adam "Borgmaster" REDACTED covered none of those this week. Instead, they covered Ion Storm's Anachronox. Did Tom Hall's contribution to the ill-fated development studio avoid…

In this episode Gino and Pete discuss the indie detective game Paradise Killer! We discuss the game's inventive setting, fun exploration, and compelling murder mystery. We wrap up by discussing our impressions of who done what and what should be done with the problematic characters in the game. Please consider donating to the National Network of Ab…

Braden "ArbitraryWater" REDACTED, Chris "ZombiePie" REDACTED, and Pete Buzby join together to explore the magical world of Fate/Stay Night through its 2006 anime adaption. Will they learn that people die when they are killed? Support the patreon if you'd like to hear more questionable takes on Japanese Animation! Please consider donating to the Nat…