Strife's Sanctum

This week's review is a strange one. RWBY has been an indy staple for a long time. Volume 9 has just recently been released. While the show was on hiatus, they partnered with Shaft to create an anime tie-in that featured both old school volume 1-2 recaps and an all new story. The remixed stuff was great. The all new material...not so much. Podcast Schedule (Based on Sunday Dates): March 26th:...

Final Fantasy VII is done, and Leigh and I wanted to talk about a lot of things.  This playthrough, FFVII Remake, other nostalgia remake properties, and other fun junk.   Podcast Schedule (Based on Sunday Dates):   March 19th: RWBY: Ice Queendom  March 26th: Yakuza: Like A Dragon  April 2nd: xxxHOLIC  April 9th: Metal Gear  April 16th: Spy x Family (Cour 2) ...

This week's review is a classic 90s anime.  It has seen a resurgence thanks to Stampede, which the initial episodes I cover as well.  Trigun is a show about super silly stuff, until it isn't.  It gives you just enough love for the characters before earning its ending and gravitas with some seriously gripping moments.  There's a reason this show is a constant rewatch for me. &nb...

This week's review is a staple of the SNES/Genesis era.  Widely regarded as one of the best games of all time, Phantasy Star IV managed to work wonders for the franchise.  Great writing, visuals, and effective heroes and villains stretched the boundaries of what the franchise had done to that point.     Podcast Schedule (Based on Monday Upload Dates):   March 6th: Tri...

This week's podcast is something a little different.  I normally don't do rankings of things, but there are some subjects I have shown to have an intense familiarity with: Final Fantasy, naturally, being one of those.  So, I came up with an idea of doing a deep dive podcast into the main villains of Final Fantasy.     To do this, I had to consider several factors - Given m...

This week's review is about a North American Square subsidiary's attempt at taking Secret of Mana's gameplay and turning it into a different experience.  While not always the most engaging game story wise, Evermore blends some cool ideas and sometimes amazing music and ambience into a serviceable 15-20 hour experience.  For anyone needing more Mana (with a facelift), this was a cool atte...

This week's review is an amazing anime that caught me off guard with how good it was.  Other than SpyxFamily, it was the best show I'd watched recently.  It has a great mix of humor, sophisticated imagery and music, cool classism/racism dynamics, and very sensualized approaches to vampire culture.  Tentative schedule (based on Monday Dates)   February 13th: Secret of Evermore&n...

This week's review is about a game franchise I should have gotten into long ago: Shantae.  It's a whimsical, light hearted, dopey platformer about an awesome half-genie with awesome hair.  In a long lost time, I was a platformer fan as a kid.  Games like this are great, and make me appreciate them all over again.   Tentative schedule (based on Monday Dates)   February 6th:...

This week's review is a dorky infotainment show about working out.  You would think a show with this premise wouldn't work at all, however, this hits all the perfect comedic notes whilst actually providing accurate exercise advice.  This spoke to me in a way no other show had done before, because I was a fitness instructor/personal trainer a decade ago.  It also helps that the intro...

This week's review is a continuation of the Ys franchise's modern efforts.  While Lacrimosa of Dana goes down as a critical and commercial success (and my favorite of the franchise), Monstrum Nox veers into a darker, moodier direction.  It also attempts to add Assassin's Creed style traversal mechanics for interesting effects.  Sadly, the game's story progression and overall content...

This week's review is an older anime.  It's got decent action, but gets bogged down at times by the chemistry of the main pair and the lackluster school stuff.  However, it is decent enough that even 20 years later, it's still a good enough watch.   Tentative schedule (based on Monday Dates)   January 16th: Ys IX: Monstrum Nox  January 23rd: How Heavy Are The Dumbbell...

Final Fantasy VIII is in the rear view mirror.  However, Leigh and I spent some more time reflecting about the journey.  This ended up becoming probably the best podcast I'd done, along with EASILY the longest.  That is because FFVIII has a ton of things to dig into, both good and bad.  All we can do is try to do it some justice.  Our hope is that you find this review is a...

This week's review is a continuation of Ace Attorney.  However, this will feature the anime adaptation of the Trilogy material.  While it isn't the best animated, and has some serious pacing issues due to cutting a lot of extra game content to fit the format, this is still a viable version.  You could still find enjoyment via the addition of voice acting (something the games have so...

This is a continuation of Ace Attorney.  For other information, watch my review of Ace Attorney https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/X6nF9LFSSvb  This week's review is a continuation of Ace Attorney.  Now that I have uploaded all the games on the LP, I am initimately familiar with Phoenix Wright.  it is going to be a fun couple of weeks going back into the courtroom.   Ten...

If you haven't watched Season 1, do that first or check out this recap https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/e1ju7ne This week's review is a continuation of a show that had potential in Season 1.  Everything I wanted to happen has in this second set.  A mystery section, a focus on a different character, and an overall more serious tone was so much more what I wanted to see out of this. &nb...

This week's review will be a rare spoiler filled one.  That's because it concerns a game that has a troubled plot twist that has gone down as divisive and (to me and others) infamous.  The game is definitely strong in some aspects, but Star Ocean has a history of solid combat. This game is certainly still fun to play.  It even boasts an expansive crafting system long before it becam...

This week's review concerns a chilling anime about judging one's life and death.  Through suspensful versions of everyday games, arbiters judge those who have passed on; judge who is worthy of being reincarnated or sent to the void.  Death Parade is a fascinating show that delivers on a unique premise.  It doesn't overstay its welcome, and is an enthralling work while it exists. &nb...

This week's review showcases a new IP from the creator of Zero Escape.  Instead of a series of locked room puzzles, Sominum Files focuses on dreams, the mysteries bured within, and how those tie into a series of murders.  The gameplay of Somnium Files has some weird warts.  However, the story and characters make up for it.   Tentative schedule (based on Monday Dates)   Nov...

This week's review is about a charming anime about two charming people who charm both each other and the audience.  While a secondary focus of the show is on medieval economics and trade warfare, the front story is two characters with undeniable chemistry falling for each other while journeying north.  It just so happens one of them is the wisest wolf of them all. Tentative schedule (bas...

This week's review is going to be a collection of rapid fire selections of multiple games from the old school SNES paradise.  Super Metroid, Earthworm Jim, E.V.O.: Search for Eden, Turtles in Time, you name it.  I talk about as much stuff as I can.   *Community Tab is now open! Vote on the next of a series of episodes for both the anime and video game reviews.  Votes will be co...

Happy Halloween!  How am I going to celebrate?  Talking about a show that defies all sanity by taking the original version and re-dubbing it into a crazy silly romp of a comedy.   Tentative schedule (based on Monday Dates)   November 7th: SNES Grab-Bag  November 14th: Spice and Wolf  November 21st: AI: The Somnium Files  November 28th: Death Parade  December...

My run of Halloween themed episodes continues with one of the few horror games I remember playing: Silent Hill 2.  It is weird timing, considering all the news about a remake and revitalization of the franchise these past couple of weeks.  I originally did this episode solo, but a friend requested to appear and provide her take on this game as well.  LeighClipse has been on the show...

This week begins our Halloween episodes.  I wanted to talk about one of the most revered vampire anime series out there.  If you want glorious, bloody, stuff, you'll get what you want.  However, there are two versions.  Much like Fullmetal Alchemist, Hellsing created a standalone OVA before the manga was finished.  Both Hellsing and FMA03 veer off into a more introspective...

My next video game review is going to be one that I'm fearful will get me some flack.  Or, at least I would, if I was trying to tackle this franchise all at once.  However anyone chooses to define it, Kingdom Hearts is special.  It can e very divisive, but at its core, it is Square Enix doing Square Enix things with Disney and FF characters mixed in.  Later entries have and wil...

If you haven't watched my review of the first season of Shield Hero, please listen to that first: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/mCwk6tW7Otb However, if you have seend Season 2, then you know my "kindness" or relative patience has run out.  I'm not saying Season 1 was perfect, but it had a great hook, cool character chemistry, and a decent bleakness/angst in the long, LONG catalog of is...