Hey, the Xenosaga pod starts kind of soonish (Patreon)

Hi everyone,

I haven't made a post in a while, so here's a post. 

Season 5 (featuring Xenosaga Episode I) is on the way. We're already six episodes deep into production, which sounds like a lot, but we're usually a bit further ahead. Part of that is because there are many life things happening right now. My kids do sports and I have to mule them around quite a bit — I don't really mind it though, it's kind of a fun way to bullshit with the dads, be outside, and see the little fellers do cool shit. Also, I'm studying UX through a certification program in an attempt to pivot my career slightly. Who knows if it'll pay off, but it's going pretty good right now.

But also, this is Xenosaga.

Xenosaga is a challenging game to cover in this particular format, not only because we have to take into account voice acting, but also how the camera is used in cutscenes, and of course, the deep lore and real world influences. 

Earlier today, I was documenting a moment early in the game where chaos touches KOS-MOS on the shoulder. She doesn't react, but she blinks twice before the camera cuts to a different angle. It made me think about how we're covering Xenosaga vs. how its been covered in other venues.

Unlike a lot of other Xenosaga coverage out there, this podcast will (and must) remain beholden to the mantra of chapter-by-chapter, beat-by-beat. There's so much great coverage out there about the thematic questions and religious lore that Xenosaga swims in — and we're certainly going to swim in it, too. 

But unlike Suikoden, we're not working with a bunch of text boxes and the occasional bespoke animation. There's a lot to be gleaned from each cut of the camera and the deliberately animated body language. I guess you could say that the chapters are packed full of beats, and I really hope we can capture all those nice beats in a way that makes for an entertaining and informative podcast.

Season 4 will rage on for a bit more. It was a long one. We'll of course wrap the season up with a character tournament and a wifecast soon. Season 5 starts on 8/14/2023 on the early access feed and 8/28/2023 on the free feed.

See you there!

Chris