PAX East 2024, Second-Chance Games, and Perilous Platinums

This week on With a Terrible Fate's podcast, we celebrate the communities, black sheep, and arduous challenges of gaming! We begin with Aaron breaking down With a Terrible Fate's lecture on bosses at PAX East last month, along with broader reflections on everything from cosplays to upcoming indie games you won't want to miss. All the talk of bosses leads us to Dark Souls II, one of the subjects of the lecture, inviting a broader discussion of why games which you or a fandom didn't initially enjoy can oftentimes be the most rewarding "new game plus" experiences. Then, with Dark Souls on the brain, we consider what may be the "Dark Souls" of platinum trophy experiences: Dan's journey to get the platinum on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, what it means to the game, and how we find value in achievements more broadly. Finally, we round things out with a discussion of our current gaming adventures, including Dan's experience of Japanese history in Rise of the Rōnin and Aaron's Chekhovian madness on the way to the climax of Tales of Xillia.

Be on the lookout for spoilers regarding the Dark Souls series, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth,  Rise of the Rōnin, Nioh, and Tales of Xillia.

Articles Cited:

• With a Terrible Fate at PAX East 2018: "How Games are Changing Serialized Storytelling"

• Aaron Suduiko: "The Language of Trophies in Final Fantasy VII Remake"