It's a good game that never quite reaches greatness. It's not a perfect RPG by any means - and it still feels outdated in a lot of ways. However, it's a game that leaves me feeling hopeful about the series' future. It feels like, at long last, the Mana series is back on track.
I've adored my time in Tural so far, and it's some of the most fun I've had in FFXIV in the 11+ years I've been playing. Wuk Lamat is someone worth rooting for, and the designs found in Dawntrail are just beautiful. More than anything, I'm just eager to get back and see where Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail takes me from here.
Overall, the genre-bending elements of Sand Land and its lovable cast of misfits all work in its favor. The story is engaging, and the ancillary content like developing Spino and taking down bounties is quite enjoyable. Vehicle combat and customization are highlights, but the real standout is how the game captures not just Akira Toriyama's art style, but also the spirit and humor of the manga and its characters. It may not be an instant classic, but Sand Land is some of the most fun you'll have this year.
The story of Granblue Fantasy: Relink may not be especially groundbreaking, but the combat is excellent and proves the game isn't getting by on just its good looks. It'll be interesting to see how the longevity of the game works in post-game and once more people are playing it and co-op becomes more viable. Even this early into the year, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is set up to be one of the best RPGs of 2024.
Like The Teal Mask and the base games before it, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk is a fine experience that just feels like it needed more time to cook. The new features and additions make it an enjoyable DLC, but the performance problems occur frequently and are often distracting. The newest battles add a bit more challenge to Gen 9, and roaming around the Terarium to catch the latest Pokémon is still the biggest draw. Overall, the good outweighs the bad. There's no denying how fun it all is.
All of this coalesces into a game that is surprisingly chill but also full of surprises. The storytelling, characters, and monsters are all trademark DQ. And with post-game content (no spoilers here), the good times can keep on rolling. The vibrancy on display here, along with Dragon Quest's signature sense of humor, dares anyone to play it without a smile. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is one of the most fun games of the year.
The class choices, combat, and gameplay of Minecraft x Dungeons & Dragons are all solid but do feel a bit limited at times because of this being DLC. However, it makes a great case for a fully-fledged Minecraft DnD game. What's here is a ton of fun and feels impressively like DnD. Fans of the tabletop RPG, or even fans of old-school dungeon crawlers, should find something to love about Minecraft x Dungeons & Dragons.
If Infinity Strash had leaned more heavily into the action combat, it would have been an excellent spin-off from the Dragon Quest series and could've been an enjoyable game in its own right. All the right pieces are here - there's just not enough of them. Unfortunately, that means Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST The Adventure of Dai isn't so much an action RPG as an anime rewatch.
Overall, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask is a quick and easy trip with good storytelling and interesting characters. Kitakami feels alive, which is no easy feat for DLC this short, and it's arguably better than either DLCs from Gen 8. As with Scarlet and Violet, though, the performance issues only slightly distract from the fun open-world exploration. The mechanics that have made Pokémon games popular for over two decades are still intact. In other words, all the right ingredients are here, even if some issues make the taste bittersweet.
Still, the premise oddly works once it really gets going. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum doesn't shy away from how much it relies on Tolkien's works - and not Peter Jackson's movies. Anyone who enjoyed LOTR and Tolkien's novels will probably find Gollum to be fine. Nothing extraordinary or groundbreaking, but an enjoyable stealth platformer that takes Gollum (and players) across some of the more iconic places in Middle-earth.
To be fair, anyone who loved the original should love this one, too - but it may not win over any newcomers because of how outdated everything feels. Tales of Symphonia Remastered brings a great JRPG to modern hardware, and that’s certainly a cause for celebration. Unfortunately, it never feels like this remaster really rises to the occasion.
Quibbles aside, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is exactly what it's selling - a celebration of 35 years' worth of Final Fantasy music that's packed with nostalgia and rhythm game mechanics. With songs from other Square Enix IPs available as bonus content, there's still plenty to keep players busy even after the ending. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is an enjoyable, whimsical rhythm game that should appeal to Final Fantasy fans, no matter where they started with the series. As celebrations go, this one's a winner.
Fans of SNES-era games (and especially JRPGs) will certainly love Chained Echoes, but there are plenty of quality-of-life improvements (like being able to save at pretty much any time) that keep the game feeling new and distinctly 21st-century. For all the aesthetics of games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 6, Chained Echoes doesn't feel like a '90s game (a trap that many retro-leaning indies fall into). Chained Echoes is a fresh, smart adventure that celebrates classic JRPGs while not being afraid to push into new directions. It's sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking - and always fun. It's a must-play.
Dragon Quest Treasures is an engaging yet easygoing monster-recruiting game full of surprises and humor - and, perhaps most importantly, it's a ton of fun.
On the whole, Star Ocean: The Divine Force may be the most solid entry to date. For anyone concerned the series lost its way in Integrity and Faithlessness, those doubts can be put to rest. The only issues - some lackluster characters and a bit too much backtracking - are really ones found throughout the entire series and don't detract much from what makes The Divine Force work so well (great combat, environments that are fun to explore, and entertaining character dynamics). It remains to be seen if Star Ocean: The Divine Force will serve as a watershed moment for the series - but for what it's worth, it's a heck of a good time and one of the best JRPGs to release this year.
Valkyrie Elysium is a lot of fun, and maybe that's good enough. It's a shame that a new Valkyrie Profile game isn't more than simply adequate, especially after all this time, but anyone looking for a quick and engaging action RPG will leave satisfied. It may not be a masterpiece, but Valkyrie Elysium is still entertaining and enjoyable.
When playing Guardian Tales, one can't help but wonder if a cute Link To The Past-style single-player game without all the gacha incentives would've been better, especially now that the title is on Switch. Still, personal preferences aside, Guardian Tales is a lot of fun. The gameplay, art style, and quirky characters are all highlights.
The only real issue with Trails From Zero is one that most other games in the series have, too - sometimes, exposition dumps can feel a bit tedious and some scenes overstay their welcome. Even with a story and characters as great as these, some parts just feel longer than they should be. Regardless, The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero is fantastic and continues Trails' trend of setting the bar incredibly high for character-driven narratives. It's also a wonderful feeling to finally have the Crossbell arc localized, but it was worth the wait.
Even people new to D&D or card-based RPGs like SteamWorld Quest should have no problem learning the ropes quickly. While it could've benefited from more character interactions and a stronger story, the combat and core gameplay loop are so engaging that many players probably won't even notice. Gordian Quest is a rare gem of an RPG that somehow manages to blend multiple genres into one game without making anything feel unwieldy.
Despite having some problems, Moo Lander is a ton of fun that delivers on its premise of being the first "Mootroidvania." The humor is hit or miss, but there are plenty of times players will find themselves smiling as they navigate the various biomes and try to solve puzzles to move the story forward. The story may not be that great, but the gameplay is - and it definitely makes Moo Lander worth checking out.