Resonant Arc
State of the Arc Podcast
Our podcast breaks down the techniques of great storytelling across our favorite games, movies, literature, and music. I also occasionally upload music I've arranged or composed!
Where to listen?
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Episodes
Life Is IL-LO-GI-CAL | Terranigma Analysis (Ep.3) | State of the Arc Podcast 16.04.2025 2:09:07
The way that life and the world are presented in this game is endlessly charming. We proceed through the resurrection of all of the the animals up to the moment that humans are reborn, which is the end of chapter 2. Leave a comment and support us on Patreon if you enjoy this content. Thank you! **We're Now On Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3 **Listen On Soundcloud**:...
Preserving Good Old Games | State of the Arc Podcast 14.04.2025 1:06:54
Mike has on Adam and Marcin from Good Old Games to discuss the importance of game preservation. With so many games being made every year, it is easy for consumers and producers to lose sight of how to best preserve the forgotten relics of the past. Please consider supporting us on Patreon if you have the means. Thanks for watching! Good Old Games: www.gog.com **We're Now On Spotify**: https://open...
The Greatest RPG You Never Played | Terranigma Analysis (Ep.2) | State of the Arc Podcast 09.04.2025 2:14:35
This game is beautiful, and the first Chapter, which we cover here, is not one you'll soon forget. Not only that, it's funny and strange in all the best ways. It feels like a taste of that golden age of RPG's, but one that many people missed out on. Play this game now, for your own good. You'll thank me later. Leave a comment and support us on Patreon if you enjoy this content. Thank you! **We're...
The Switch 2 Is Seriously Impressive | State of the Arc Podcast 07.04.2025 41:13
We now know everything we wanted to know about the Switch 2! Well, almost everything. Due to pricing questions we are waiting for more information before we include that issue in our discussion. In the mean time, that direct was wonderful and there are some exciting things coming from Nintendo! Thank you for watching and remember to subscribe and join us on Patreon! Time Codes: 1. **We're Now On S...
The Mysterious Development History Of Terranigma (Ep.1) | State of the Arc Podcast 02.04.2025 1:35:40
Terranigma is one of the most touching and beautiful games ever made. It is near the top of Mike's list of favorite games ever and Casen is now playing it for the first time. We cover the history of the games development, including why it never came to the America, and what may have happened to the lead developers who seem to have vanished in an enigma themselves. Much mystery surrounds this game,...
A Switch Eulogy: Looking Back | State of the Arc Podcast 31.03.2025 1:00:23
The Switch 2 has been announced, thus signaling that the end of the Switch's life is imminent. As we look back on a life well lived, we remember the good times. The games that made us laugh and cry, the experiences that we'll always remember. The Switch may not be long for this world, but it will always live on inside our hearts. May it rest in peace. Much of this video is a reaction to our initia...
Should Final Fantasy DOWNGRADE to AA? | State of the Arc Podcast 24.03.2025 1:49:08
Join us and The Night Sky Prince as we discuss the future of Final Fantasy. AAA games have massive budgets and have become risky investments, which is why most studios prefer to play it safe when handling hundreds of millions of dollars to create one game. The downside of this is that players are left with a homogenized product that doesn't look or feel too different from the other games being hea...
The Music of Final Fantasy VIII and IX | State of the Arc Podcast 17.03.2025 1:44:26
Final Fantasy 8 and 9 have some of the best music in video games. Nobuo Uematsu put his heart into these scores and it shows. Don't forget to support us on Patreon if you enjoy the content. Thank you! Link to survey: https://forms.gle/oVbHZJWDRsAef5Rp7 Time Codes: 1. Intro (0:00) 2. FF8 (4:16) 3. FF9 (57:50) **We're Now On Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3 **Listen On...
The Music of Final Fantasy VII | State of the Arc Podcast 10.03.2025 1:35:16
Final Fantasy 7 has one of the best soundtracks in the history of video games. We analyze it to figure out why that is. We got stories, background information and more about this specific game and we lay it all out right here. This was supposed to include all of the PS1 era final fantasy games but it ended up just being about FF7. There might be a few spoilers here so tread carefully if you haven'...
The Music of Final Fantasy | SNES Era | State of the Arc Podcast 03.03.2025 1:17:50
We now look back on the music of Final Fantasy throughout the SNES era. Nobuo Uematsu levels up and creates some of the most moving and beautiful songs in all video games. We cover Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI in this video. Don't forget to support us on Patreon if you enjoy the content. Thank you! Time Codes: 1. Intro (0:00) 2. SNES (1:34) 3. Final Fantasy IV (14:48) 4....
The Music of Final Fantasy | NES Era | State of the Arc Podcast 24.02.2025 1:29:59
We look back on the music of Final Fantasy throughout the NES era. Nobuo Uematsu is a genius and fantastic musician, and with the limitations he had, he delivered some truly incredible and iconic soundtracks between Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III. Don't forget to support us on Patreon if you enjoy the content. Thank you! Time Codes: 1. Intro (0:00) 2. Nobuo Uematsu (3:53)...
Way Deeper Than You Remember | The NeverEnding Story Analysis | State of the Arc Podcast (Ft. Keith Comito) 19.02.2025 1:40:19
In today's episode, we're talking about the 1984 classic fantasy film, The NeverEnding Story, a staple of my childhood and one of my all-time favorite films. Both this film, and the novel it is based on, are rich with symbolism, meaning, and contain a thematic richness that may surprise you. Join us as we revisit this amazing film from our childhood! Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonanta...
Why Children SHOULD Play Video Games | State of the Arc Podcast 18.02.2025 1:24:07
Lots of people think that video games are a waste of time. Well, that may depend on how they're used and what games are being played. In this episode, we examine many of the health benefits that can be derived from a healthy video game diet. Playing games can lead to the acquisition of a surprisingly large number of skills. Skills that your parents probably weren't aware of, or that they didn't re...
Is Turn Based Combat OUTDATED? | State of the Arc Podcast 17.02.2025 50:43
Is turn-based combat dying in video games? Is it already dead? Or is it just outdated, being kept on life support by us old geezers? Possibly an even more important question... can Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 help tilt the scales towards what is obviously the superior form of simulated digital combat? Magic The Gathering as a computer: https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.09828 **We're Now On Spotify**: htt...
Unqualified For Free Will | Metal Gear Solid 2 Analysis (Finale) | State of the Arc Podcast 11.02.2025 2:47:00
Today, we are joined by our friend Max Derrat to analyze the ending of Metal Gear Solid 2! If you haven't heard of him, check out his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@maxderrat/featured After escaping from Arsenal Gear, the fortress falls out of the sky and crashes into Manhattan Island. Raiden is contacted by a different AI impersonating the Colonel and Rose. It states that GW was the only...
TURN THE GAME OFF RIGHT NOW! | Metal Gear Solid 2 Analysis (Ep.7) | State of the Arc Podcast 04.02.2025 2:00:52
Raiden awakens on Arsenal Gear, where Solidus reveals he had killed Raiden's parents and raised him as a child soldier during the Liberian Civil War. After this, Olga frees Raiden, explaining she is a Patriot double agent forced to help him in exchange for her child's safety. After the Colonel begins acting erratically, it is revealed that he is a construct of GW, damaged by the virus. Rose tells...
Top 20 Game Soundtracks | The Best Music In Video Games | State of the Arc Podcast 03.02.2025 2:05:21
What video games have the best music? We each made a list of the top 10 video game soundtracks of all time. For this video, we did not include Final Fantasy music. That will be treated in a separate video in the future. Do you agree with our picks? Whose list resonates with you the most? Let us know! And don't forget to support us on Patreon if you enjoy the content. Thank you **We're Now On Spoti...
A Family "Affair" | Metal Gear Solid 2 Analysis (Ep.6) | State of the Arc Podcast 29.01.2025 1:34:14
After the assassination of President Johnson, the Colonel asks Raiden to honor his last directive—to rescue computer programmer Emma Emmerich, step-sister of Otacon, and help her upload a virus into Arsenal Gear’s AI system, GW. On the way to the flooded Shell 2 core where she is trapped, Raiden encounters Vamp again, who survived bullet wounds to the forehead and abdomen. Vamp reveals that even w...
Bring Back Pre-Rendered Backgrounds! | State of the Arc Podcast 27.01.2025 58:17
Pre-rendered backgrounds have been disrespected and become a thing of the past in modern video games. That needs to change. Bring them back! We discuss this and more in our latest episode. Remember to subscribe and join us on Patreon! **We're Now On Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3 **Listen On Soundcloud**: https://soundcloud.com/resonantarc **Listen On iTunes**: htt...
Who Are The Patriots? | Metal Gear Solid 2 Analysis (Ep.5) | State of the Arc Podcast 21.01.2025 1:40:25
On his way to rescue President Johnson, Raiden is confronted by the terrorist commander, who claims to be Solid Snake. Enraged by this, Pliskin reveals himself as the true Solid Snake and fires on the imposter from a helicopter. Utilizing an advanced exoskeleton, the terrorist leader evades Snake's attack and boards a Harrier being piloted by Vamp. Snake then tells Raiden to shoot it down, throwin...
Is The Switch 2 The FUTURE Of Gaming? | State of the Arc Podcast 20.01.2025 49:34
The Switch 2 has been announced. The board is set, the pieces are moving. Now is the time for gamers to decide what their future will be. Or will it be decided for them? Is this a contest of pure power? Or can finesse and convenience win the day? Only time will tell. But the Switch 2 is shaping up to be a serious contender for best console of all time. The only questions that remain for Nintendo a...
Laugh and grow fat! | Metal Gear Solid 2 Analysis (Ep.5) | State of the Arc Podcast 15.01.2025 1:26:52
After Raiden and Pliskin disarm the C4 planted within Shells 1 and 2, Raiden receives shocking news from a now-mobile Peter Stillman. All the C4s (planted in places where severe damage could not be done to the Big Shell) were nothing more than diversions for the real explosives, large enough to disturb the structure's integrity. Additionally, the real bombs were programmed to activate after all of...
How Final Fantasy VII Pulled Off Its Mind-Bending Twist | State of the Arc Podcast 13.01.2025 1:05:30
A plot twist is an interesting thing. Many stories try to pull off such a feat, few succeed. In terms of video games, Final Fantasy VII is one that pulled off its twist remarkably. We were going to talk about a few other games, but the time was well spent in focusing mostly just on FF7. And the Metal Gear Solid example is mid-game. That game pulls off its own twist with flying colors but we used a...
War As A Video Game | Metal Gear Solid 2 Analysis (Ep.3) | State of the Arc Podcast 07.01.2025 1:29:42
Two years after the sinking of the USS Discovery, with Solid Snake confirmed dead and framed as the primary suspect, new FOXHOUND recruit Jack (codenamed Raiden) is sent to infiltrate the off-shore decontamination facility known as Big Shell, constructed shortly after the sinking of the Discovery, which, according to the government, spilled thousands of gallons of crude oil into the New York Harbo...
UNDERRATED Games You're Sleeping On | State of the Arc Podcast 06.01.2025 1:32:05
What does the word underrated even mean? We've never been big fans of the words underrated or overrated, but we figured that if we define our terms we can actually have a decent discussion! Lots of games have, for one reason or another, evaded the public consciousness; despite being incredible games! If the only way we can talk about some of these games is to use the word underrated, so be it. We...
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