225: Arco (with Luis Aguasvivas)

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Join Dave and special guest Luis Aguasvivas as they discuss Arco (Franek, Max Cahill, Bibiki and Fayer, 2024). Arco blends tactical turn-based combat with a revenge story spanning multiple protagonists. It's an ambitious game that coalesces in some magical ways, but falls short in some others, making it ripe for discussion. As always, no spoilers in the episode for a while- enjoy!

Guest info: Luis Aguasvivas (he/they)

• Check out Luis's writing https://aguaspoints.com/
• Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/aguaspoints.bsky.social

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 Title Card
• 0:20 Introductions
• 3:56 Our Histories with Arco
• 6:52 Top-Level Thoughts
• 13:13 Story Setup
• 17:52 Multiple Protagonist Structure
• 22:58 Dramatic Irony and Post-Colonial Narratives
• 28:48 Visual Design
• 35:33 Soundtrack
• 40:13 Combat
• 49:38 Fantasy Elements and Morality System
• 1:03:55 Who Should Play?
• 1:07:55 Luis' Writing
• 1:11:58 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
• 1:14:20 Spoilers- Different Story Paths
• 1:26:01 Spoilers- Act Five
• 1:39:41 Spoilers- Tizo's Story
• 1:51:22 Spoilers- Violence as Interaction in Games
• 2:01:54 Spoilers- Fighting the Ocean in Historical Fiction

Music used in the episode is credited to Bibiki. Tracks used: Arena y Alquitrán, Forgotten Memories, Blood Spit, Whispers of Magic, Where Iyos Live, Sempiternal

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures