Player vs Plot

Player vs Plot Podcast
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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!

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    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?

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    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

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    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!

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    Animal Crossing: New Horizons

    This week we tackle the Animal Crossing series, with a particular focus on its latest entry: New Horizons. We discuss its peculiar "communication" genre label and try to pin down what common stories will emerge from the game's many activities. We also discuss the movie adaptation and some popular fan theories! If you're an Animal Crossing fan or just wondering what story we could possibly be pulling from this series, this episode is for you! 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: Intro, release history of the series 00:12:30: Main concept of Animal Crossing, discussing the "communication" genre 00:25:30: What's the player character supposed to be? 00:34:45: Animal villagers, their role in the game, and their personality types 01:23:00: Exploring common narrative threads in an Animal Crossing experience 01:32:45: The Animal Crossing movie adaptation 01:47:15: Development of the original Animal Crossing 01:52:50: Fan theories 02:09:00: Further Reading

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    Power Progression Mechanics in Video Game Narratives

    Episode Notes This week we chat about the many ways in which video games make the player character stronger over time. What forms can it take, what does it accomplish for a story, and what kind of new challenges and solutions has this narrative technique brought to the medium? We discuss all this and more! Check back each week for a new discussion of a video game story! As always, 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 00:01:45 What is power progression? 00:07:20 Why do we like it so much? What do we get out of it? 00:14:00 The dark side of power progression 00:18:10 Power progression in sequels 00:23:00 How experience points and currency tell a story 00:31:00 Prescriptive vs Descriptive power progression mechanics 00:33:30 Losing progression to serve design 00:37:00 Has power progression become less part of the narrative voice of games? 00:53:00 What kinds of narratives are best served by progression mechanics? 01:12:38 "Increment games" (Progress Quest/Cookie Clicker) and their implications 01:30:00 Summary and wrap-up

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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!

المعلومات

  • صناع العمل
    Player vs Plot Podcast
  • سنوات النشاط
    ٢٠١٩ - ٢٠٢٠
  • الحلقات
    ٢٣
  • التقييم
    فاضح
  • حقوق النشر
    © Copyright 2026
  • موقع البرنامج على الويب
    Player vs Plot