Holy cow this episode rules. Really cool insights from everyone. As someone who has come back to video games during quarantine and is sort of reckoning with what role they’ve played in my life, Azurelore’s segment honestly got me a little teary. Throughout the episode, it was enriching to hear about video games through a craft and an industry lens from a time where I would have just been a kid and not given those things much thought.
I don’t typically listen to the podcast when it first uploads (which is on Monday evenings for me) but I had gotten a Tim Horton’s iced coffee and was gearing down to play some Bravely Default II waaaaayyy past midnight as a little treat for myself. So I figured the podcast would be cool to listen to while grinding and navigating dungeons in-between the story stuff.
One of the narrative themes of Bravely Default II, at least with what I’ve played so far and certainly the chapter I’m on right now, is honoring personal legacies and historic relationships while persisting on the necessary journey ahead. So it was kind of surreal to hear people who seem to still genuinely enjoy each other analyze their role in work that has meant a lot to others and continue to put their heart into creating things with purpose. And listening to this in 20/30-minute drops between JRPG cutscenes about the longevity of friendships and the importance of growth (and magic crystals or something) was just a wonderfully bizarre experience.
Which is to say thank you to everyone who has a hand in making this show and continuing the work that was started with the website. To me, the Insert Credit Show is a weekly study in conscious creativity and engagement with video games that feels applicable to almost any art. And it feels like I’m witnessing something special that has been special for a long time.