Matt Masem
There’s little doubt that turn-based RPG fans will find incredible satisfaction from the title, and those who enjoy expansive lore and deep, customizable job systems will fall head-over-heels in love.
While those looking for a deep, story-heavy RPG might find Octopath Traveler lacking, the game is a hugely enjoyable modern take on traditional turn-based games of yesteryear with a collection of short story, rather than novel-length, narratives.
In taking a standard save-the-world RPG tale and populating it with fascinating characters dealing with relatable issues in a beautifully rendered world and adding an addicting, customizable battle system, developer Image & Form has created a true gem of a game for the Nintendo Switch.
Packed into a pleasingly tight seven-hour experience, This Way Madness Lies is an excellent blend of disparate genres, solid gameplay, and humorous writing.
Stardew Valley is an excellent game that let me quietly relax and enjoyably lose myself in for hours on end.
Adhering to the phrase “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, Nexus takes the tried-and-true Etrian Odyssey formula and does well with virtually all of its components: music, battles, interactions, and world-building.
From gorgeous graphics to deep crafting and combat systems, Lulua is an impressive game.
Employing a fun battle system similar to the developer’s previous titles and written with as much good humor and charm as one could possibly hope for in a game starring a squid-headed god intent on saving Christmas only to destroy the world, Cthulhu Saves Christmas is a bite-sized adventure worthy of a playthough any time of year.
Rune Factory 4 Special is an easy recommendation to any RPGamer who enjoys farming and life sim games, as well as for those casual Stardew Valley fans that wished for more variety in the combat aspects. It’s been long enough since the 3DS release that this game can be enjoyed fresh again, and for those who missed it the first time around, now’s the perfect time to give it a try.
While the first title proved that VEWO could do a nostalgic monster collecting game, Extinction shows that the developer is willing and able to push the genre forward in more modern ways.
All the charm and the excellence of the original game shines through, with only a couple of decade-old gameplay elements sticking out. The game offers a great jumping on point for those not experienced with the series while staying quite accessible to those used to the gameplay of later entries. It is an easily recommended blend of life-sim and RPG that many RPGamers can find enjoyment with.
While Tavern Story might never reach the level of fandom that the Atelier series enjoys, its entry into the crafting RPG sub-genre should not go unnoticed.
With a solid story and an amazing, beautiful world to explore, the White Witch on Switch is a port that many JRPG fans will enjoy, especially those like me who are getting to play this for the first time.
Players looking for a short romp that doesn’t overstay its welcome will want to pick up this title before tackling the sequel, which has many gameplay improvements that would be sorely missed when returning to the original.
Rune Factory has always been a chill experience with some light action RPG elements to it, and that’s exactly what the newest title delivers.
Dragon Quest Treasures is a fun game for those looking to just wander around a Dragon Quest world and dig up treasure. Long-time series fans and those used to deeper ARPG combat systems might find the game to be too feature-lite though, with a dearth of monsters being the primary culprit from a series with more than a thousand to choose from.
The double-battle nature of the game and the beast customization offers players a great deal of strategy to engage with while listening to an excellent soundtrack.
While never achieving the “great” part of its title, the game at least isn’t too far from hitting the “good” part.
While Dancing in Moonlight feels like half a game, the half it presents is quite good.
For those who have previously enjoyed the tales of Neptune and her crew, it's possibly worth a try, but for those uninitiated, this won't create any new Nep Nep fans.