In this episode Bryan and Josh welcome host of Tales from the Backlog, Dave Jackson, to discuss Persona 4 Golden! Bryan’s played Persona 5, Josh has played Persona 3, so now they’re meeting in the middle and asked Dave to join for a wide ranging discussion that starts with an analysis of the studio’s evolving approach to game design then pivots to a deep dive of Persona 4 Golden’s characters, combat mechanics, and broader themes.

The Persona series is an interesting game for multiple reasons, not least of which are its design priorities which focus on atypical areas such as UI design and Music, and writing. By the same token analyzing a social / life sim game from 2008 in 2025 is not without its pitfalls including the sometimes clumsy handling of representation and other social issues. Even so, the artistry of the game’s stylish design and writing, combined with a unique take on themes of personal growth rooted in Jungian psychology, are certainly with the price of admission.

Show Notes:

Dave’s Podcast - Tales from the Backlog

Persona 4 Reincarnation

Three Word Reviews:

Bryan - Experience Myriad Truths

Josh - Solid Detective Story

Dave - Jungian Scooby Doo

In this atypical episode of Pixelated Playgrounds Josh and Bryan talk through a couple of “Game Poems”. A “Game Poem” (as defined by Josh) is “An experimental/artsy/short game or some combination therein. A game that the player can play once, for five or thirty minutes, and experience a distinct sort of message." Two such games are Every Day the Same Dream, released in 2009 by Molleindustria and Every Day the Same Dream released in 2020 by Cecile Richard. Every Day the Same Dream bills itself as a game about alienation and refusal of labour, while Under A Star Called Sun is described as a sci-fi bitsy game about grieving, holding on to fading memories, and carrying the world on your shoulders. Both are able to be played in 5-10 minutes or less and are readily available online, so if you’ve ever been wary to listen because of our spoiler policy, now is the time to subvert it!

Bryan and Josh also take a tangent into the history of browser games and reminisce a bit on some of their favorites, so boot up your ancient laptop that still has a running version of Flash and listen in to this episode on Game Poems!

Show Notes:

Every Day the Same Dream

Under A Star Called Sun

Molleindustria

The Actor and the Audience by Josh Galecki

I Am Sitting in a Room by Alvin Lucier

Three Word Reviews:

Under A Star Called Sun

Bryan - Smelling Digital Roses

Josh - Actor and Audience

Every Day The Same Dream

Bryan - Potent Fading Memory

Josh - Treachery of Memory

Horizon Zero Dawn and its sequel Horizon Forbidden West have had an uphill battle to become some of the most successful AAA open world games. The first entry released alongside The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and the follow-up came out just ahead of Elden Ring, two games that are not just direct competitors for the Horizon series, but also genre re-defining titles. Yet, much like the series’ protagonist, Aloy, the Horizon games have persisted. They have eventually found their audience and have delivered some of the best Open World gaming the current generation has seen as of 2025.

While the Horizon games on their face are a visual feast focused on hunting down robotic dinosaurs in a stunning post apocalypse, what lies beneath the surface is what kept Bryan and Clint coming back for more. A sweeping sci-fi story with ambitious and surprising writing drives Horizon’s cybernetic heart forward. That and a surprisingly deep combat system that forces you to use all parts of the robotic buffalo.

In this podcast Clint and Bryan discuss the sweeping story told across both Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West before focusing in on the finer points of the more recent entry. So grab your bow and spear and tune your focus in to Pixelated Playgrounds as we discuss the Horizon Series!

Three Word Reviews:

Bryan - Defying Human Nature

Clint - Giant Robot Dinosaurs!