Quest Markers

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. * * * * * * *  TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro  (06:17) Overview of the games (16:09) Why character-driven stories matt...

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. * * * * * * *  TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro  (05:05 Game ove...

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.  * * * * * * *  T...

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....

Marina sits down with professional opera singer-turned-voice actor MarcoMeatball to talk all things video game music. We talk about how FFXIV and Granblue Fantasy: Relink blend genres, the sadness in Bloodborne’s soundtrack, how vertical music sequencing is used in Nier Automata, how ambient music is used to shape a narrative, and much more. We also talk about the music in the games we’re currentl...

Marina sits down with games journalist Jack Alex Roberts and game dev Sherveen Uduwana to talk about our Tarnished journeys in the Lands Between. We talk about our love of Elden Ring’s lore, narrative design, music, how we got into the Soulsborne genre, what builds we played, our favourite moments in the game, how difficulty is used as a lever for intentional storytelling, and much more. Grab a co...

Marina Ryan sits down to recap Quest Markers’ first year – and the life lessons that video games can teach us.  We talk about community, grief, love, finding meaning in life, overcoming despair, becoming your own saviour, and so much more.  Hope you enjoy! * * * * * * *  (00:00) Introduction (02:07) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (04:00) Metroid Dread (05:48) Final Fantasy VII & Final Fa...

Marina Ryan sits down with Kinsey for part 2 of Quest Markers’ anniversary episode! Thank you for 1 year of conversations, coffee, and laughs 🖤 Grab your ocarina and let’s fall into Termina for the sequel to our very first episode with our very  first guest. We talk about how Majora’s Mask tells a story of pain and healing through trauma, and we speculate about what the Fierce Deity's mask ac...

Marina Ryan sits down with Kinsey for Quest Markers’ anniversary episode! Thank you for 1 year of conversations, coffee, and laughs 🖤 Grab your ocarina and let’s fall into Termina for the sequel to our very first episode with our very  first guest. We talk about how Majora’s Mask tells a story of pain and healing through the 5 stages of grief – and how it’s up to us to decide how we respond to a...

Marina Ryan sits down with Thomas Roland for a special Halloween episode covering the Resident Evil series.  This episode covers Resident Evil 0 through 5 Remake. Grab your green herbs and get ready for a dive into RE’s characters, the themes of fleeting hope and becoming your own saviour, and why the survival horror genre isn’t meant to be difficult. Welcome to (an accidental) Leon Kennedy Hour....

Marina sits down for another solo episode to talk about the game she hadn’t stopped talking about for 2 years straight: NieR: Automata. This episode goes in-depth on NieR: Automata’s story, how its game elements come together, why its use of narrative design is masterful, how it explores existentialism, free will, and the meaning of being alive, and why YoRHa androids wear blindfolds.  (00:00) Int...

Marina sits down for her first solo episode to celebrate Quest Markers entering our episodic double digits, Dawntrail’s announcement, ARR’s 10th anniversary, and her finally getting caught up in MSQ after 1.5 years of playing FFXIV. This episode goes in-depth on Shadowbringers and Endwalker lore, why Endwalker’s story hit as deeply as it did, why Emet-Selch is one of the greatest antagonists in al...

Marina sits down with Scott from The Gaming Outsider to talk about Scott’s favourite Zelda game: A Link to the Past. We talk about community, trust, secrets, betrayal, why King Zora is the funniest character, and whether the game holds up after all these years. Enjoy, and have a great day!  * * * * * * *  Follow Us: The Gaming Outsider: https://thegamingoutsider.com/   Quest Markers: https://twitt...

Marina sits down with Game Director and Designer Sherveen to talk about the unexpectedly deep lore and narrative of Hollow Knight. We talk about the Hollow Knight’s tragic life, quirky characters we meet in Hallownest, the sad story of the Abyss’ vessels, and willing things into existence. Hope you enjoy! ( 00:00 ) Introduction & Meeting Sherveen ( 11:53 ) Hollow Knight's Story Overview (...

Jack sits down with Marina to talk about Pokémon Gold & Silver! We talk about the darker themes explored in this story, the controversy of Slowpoke tails, this generation’s lack of fire Pokémon, the glorious pink dog that is Snubbull, why Lavender town is so creepy, and finally being able to evolve Pikachu. Join us for an equally chaotic and funny conversation, and enjoy! * * * * * * *  Follow...

Ren comes back and sits down with Marina to talk about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, just before the release of Tears of the Kingdom. We talk about Zelda’s desire for freedom, Fi’s significance, our favourite emotional moments, and BOTW’s open-world design. We also speculate about Ganondorf and Demise’s appearances in Tears of the Kingdom. Enjoy! * * * * * * *  Follow Us: Quest Markers:...

Zack and Marina sit down to talk about… what would happen if humanity was faced with its own demise? In talking about NieR Replicant, we explore the topics of protagonism, sapience, willpower, and more. Hope you enjoy! * * * * * * *  Follow Us: Quest Markers: https://twitter.com/questmarkerspod   The Gaming Outsider Podcast: https://twitter.com/TheGOCast   Smirk Podcast: https://twitter.com/SmirkP...

Snugboy and Marina sit down to talk all things Xenoblade Chronicles. In this episode, we talk about the art of foreshadowing, earnest protagonists, misdirection as a narrative tool, and the true power of friendship (Cringey to say? Yes. True, tho? Also yes). We hope you enjoy! * * * * * * * Follow Us: Quest Markers:  https://twitter.com/questmarkerspod Snugboy: https://twitter.com/RealSnugboy Mari...

Billy and Marina sit down to chat Final Fantasy VII – both the original game and Remake. In this episode, we talk about identity, destiny, Zack Fair, Sephiroth (obviously), and a theory that may be more tragic than the events of the original game. Enjoy! * * * * * * * Follow Us: Quest Markers: https://twitter.com/questmarkerspod Billy: https://twitter.com/saturn_sounds Marina: https://twitter.com/...

Ren and Marina sit down to talk all-things Metroid Dread. In this episode, we talk about our love of the Metroid series’ environmental storytelling, Samus Aran’s history, accessibility in gaming, and why we love Samus’ broad shoulders. Hope you enjoy! * * * * * * * Follow Ups: • Can I Play That (Gaming Accessibility Reviews): https://caniplaythat.com/ Follow Us: • Quest Markers: https://twitter.co...

Join Kinsey and Marina for the first episode of Quest Markers! In this episode, we look at Ocarina of Time’s narrative, characters, music, and what makes this adventure a classic. Is OOT the saddest Zelda game in the series? Why do we love Sheik so much? Is the Water Temple our least-favourite dungeon? Idk, let’s find out!   * * * * * * *   Follow ups:   • Good Blood’s video essay:...