286 - Who Says You Always Need to Save the Princess?

RPGFan's Random Encounter

Welcome to 2024! This year at Random Encounter, we're on the road to episode 300, so let's start the new year right by chatting about some games!

First up, Jerry is here to talk about the experimental visual novel, Slay the Princess. In complete opposition to just about every video game plot ever, here you need to kill the princess or the world is doomed! Or is it? With a ton of endings and twists around every choice, Slay the Princess has captured Jerry's attention as a potentially overlooked gem of 2023.

And speaking of overlooked gems, Aleks has another one for you from 1999 with Planet Laika, a Japanese-only game from Quintet, the developer of Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia, and Terranigma. This lost 32-bit-era adventure/RPG hybrid features a highly experimental narrative, mind-bending graphics, and a philosophical bent that would have sent any translator in the late 1990s into a stress-related leave (which might be why it was never localized). Thankfully, Planet Laika now has a high-quality fan translation! So, let's find out what we missed out on!

Featuring: Jono Logan, Aleks Franiczek, and Jerry Williams; Edited by Jono Logan

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This Episode's Related Links:
Slay the Princess Review
Planet Laika Review