23 episodes
Player vs Plot Player vs Plot Podcast
-
- Arts
-
-
5.0 • 1 Rating
-
Player vs. Plot takes video game stories seriously.
Whether you're eager to revisit the story of your favorite video game through a different lens, looking for a synopsis of a game you never played before its sequel comes out, or just curious about what happens in a game you know you'll never get around to finishing -- we're here for you! Join us each season as we walk you through the story of a new game each episode, unpacking the complexities of its plot, celebrating its successes and debating its messaging, themes and craft. Player vs Plot is a celebration of the narrative potential of video games!
-
Chrono Trigger
Episode Notes
In this exciting season finale, we discuss the plot and philosophical questions of the beloved SNES RPG, Chrono Trigger! We take you through the main plot, the side quests, and (many of) the endings! We also discuss some of the bigger lingering questions often debated by the game's fandom: what exactly is Lavos, and who might be the Entity?
Check back each week for a new discussion of a video game story! As always, catch us on Instagram and Twitter at @playervsplot, send your questions and comments to playervsplot@gmail.com, and check out our website, http://playervsplot.com!
Time Stamps
0:00:00 What's Chrono Trigger?
0:14:00 The first quest: to the Middle Ages and back
0:38:00 Discovering the Apocalypse and the Future
0:45:55 Helping a frog knight defeat a wizard
0:53:00 Prehistoric era: when Lavos landed
0:58:28 Zeal and Magus's origin story
1:08:00 Side quests and getting stronger for Lavos
1:31:30 Final battle and the endings
2:02:10 What is Lavos and what does it want?
2:09:30 Who is the Entity? -
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Episode Notes
We tackle another behemoth of a game this week with The Witcher 3! We walk you through the story beats of the main quest, summarize some of the bigger side quests, and analyze what the game has to say about fatherhood, political action, and interdimensional factionalism. We also talk about the unique challenges this game tackles in setting an open world RPG in the world of a licensed property.
Check back each week for a new discussion of a video game story! As always, catch us on Instagram and Twitter at @playervsplot, send your questions and comments to playervsplot@gmail.com, and check out our website, http://playervsplot.com!
Time Stamps
0:00:00: What's The Witcher franchise all about?
0:18:15: Important characters to know
0:27:45: The inciting incident
0:39:35 Events in Velen
0:57:40 Events in Novigrad
1:09:35 Events in Skellige
1:20:00 Locating Ciri, Kaer Morhen
1:50:40 Final Quests
2:09:40 Finale and the Endings -
Frame Narratives in Video Games
Think of today's episode as a story within a story - because we're doing framing narratives! We discuss games that have you playing out a story being told in-universe like Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time, Dragon Age 2, Final Fantasy X, and more. It's a classic narrative technique, but how does it fare in the realm of video games? Tune in to find out!
Check back each week for a new discussion of a video game story! As always, catch us on Instagram and Twitter at @playervsplot, send your questions and comments to playervsplot@gmail.com, and check out our website, http://playervsplot.com! -
Metal Gear Solid
Episode Notes
This week's episode is a doozy. We tackle the hotly requested Metal Gear Solid! We summarize the major story beats and discuss its meta elements, our treatment of soldiers, and whether your genes really determine your future. This is a long one and a bit on the goofy side so sit back, suppress your stomach acids, turn on your stealth camouflage, put away your Murakami novel and get in your box while we walk you through one of the weirdest game stories we've tackled yet!
Check back each week for a new discussion of a video game story! As always, catch us on Instagram and Twitter at @playervsplot, send your questions and comments to playervsplot@gmail.com, and check out our website, http://playervsplot.com!
Time Stamps
0:00 Our relationship with the game and Kojima
19:45 What you need to know from Metal Gear 1 and 2
38:12 MGS1's mission briefing
44:15 Introducing the support staff
53:25 Infiltrating Shadow Moses and finding the hostages
01:17:20 Nuclear weapons storage Building
01:52:50 The finale
2:11:00 How the game discusses genetics, autonomy and heritage
2:27:50 Further reading -
Shadow of the Colossus
This week on Player Vs Plot we tackle a game that may seem to have a small plot but in the end is full of colossal themes to unpack. That's right, we're discussing Shadow of the Colossus! Join us as we talk about how this game connects with others games, the myths it taps into, and the overarching messages it sets out to convey.
Check back each week for a new discussion of a video game story! Catch us on Instagram and Twitter @playervsplot, send your questions and comments to playervsplot@gmail.com, and check out our website at http://playervsplot.com!
Time Stamps
00:00:00 Introduction, what kind of "art" games existed in the mainstream at the time?
00:22:28 The premise and basic plot
00:52:00 Are the Colossi sapient?
00:58:20 The climax
01:17:00 Dormin and the ending
01:25:00 Analyzing the ending
01:44:25 Fan theories and the last secret
01:59:15 Listener questions -
Street Fighter II
This week, Player vs Plot covers an unusual source of compelling video game storytelling: fighting games! How does a competitive arcade game tell a story when the player experience is always different? How does a match between two players fit into the game's "canon" plot? And how much storytelling can you get in with just animation, endings and win quotes, anyway? We tackle all of these questions using Street Fighter II as a case study!
Check back each week for a new discussion of a video game story! As always, catch us on Instagram and Twitter at @playervsplot, send your questions and comments to playervsplot@gmail.com, and check out our website, http://playervsplot.com!
Time Stamps
0:00:00 Our relationships with the arcade
0:17:00 Fighting games before Street Fighter
0:21:00 Plot of the original Street Fighter, what is a Street Fighter?
0:38:25 Street Fighter II, context of release
0:44:00 Sources of canon in Street Fighter
0:46:12 The player's narrative in Street Fighter II
1:22:22 Chun Li
1:40:00 Guile
1:45:10 Blanka
1:46:32 Zangief
1:48:24 Honda
1:48:55 Dhalsim
1:54:30 Ken
1:57:55 Ryu