RPG Fan's Reviews
By Afterlove EP’s closing moments, I was happy to take the needle from the vinyl and put the record back in its sleeve. I will file it away in the collection, an imperfect album, with some standout tracks that make the filler worthwhile.
Final Fantasy XVI is phenomenal if you enjoy action RPGs, especially if you appreciate well-written stories that build upon themselves, teeming with memorable characters and poignantly emotional moments.
Suffice it to say, Shujinkou is one of the most ambitious indie games I’ve ever played. It not only satisfies the DRPG craving, but also rivals the industry and genre giants in delivering a complete experience. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the genre or just curious to try something new, this is the one.
If you are a new player or have only experienced the original Vita release back in 2017, then give this Switch version a second look. It’s rare for a Switch port to have few significant compromises, and even rarer still for that port to be the best version of the game, but Aksys and Falcom did a great job with this release.
Wild ARMs stands as a unique gem nestled in the shadow of PlayStation JRPG giants, waiting to be explored by the more patient of players. For all its constant availability across five generations of PlayStations, Wild ARMs deserves the quality-of-life enhancements of its peers to make it feel like less of a chore.
Underneath its pastel visuals, I was pleasantly surprised to find a gripping and emotional story about overcoming hardships and loss populated by a memorable cast. Genso Manège certainly adheres to “don’t judge a book by its cover” due to its hidden narrative depth alongside finely-tuned traditional visual novel elements and a fun optional puzzle mechanic, providing fellow romantasy junkies a new game to adore.
If you enjoy text- and systems-driven RPGs, or well-written sci-fi in general, Starward Vector is a remarkable achievement as both game and fiction.
Coridden, while lacking polish, also shines like a diamond with its wealth of ideas, theming, and creative setting. Almost better as a proof-of-concept, my intention isn’t to steer the developers away from success, but to highlight that the hard part’s been done: good game design. All that’s needed is some QA. For you, reader, you may enjoy seeing what’s being chewed on here, but don’t go in expecting a crisp experience.
Eternal Strands does some really cool things but is held back by some baffling design decisions, lackluster writing, and melee combat that doesn't ever click.
Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero may not be the most unique JRPG in recent memory, but there’s still not much out there that can capture the specific charm of its gameplay. It’s a delight if you’ve never played a Nippon Ichi RPG or if you’re a veteran, and as one of those veterans, I’m so glad that this series has returned from the dead. Seems to be a theme.
Tales of Graces f Remastered presents the ideal way to experience this enjoyable entry in the Tales series. While I can’t promise Graces will revolutionise your view of the genre, I can assure you of an enjoyable time in the company of an entertaining group of characters, coupled to a battle system that gets your adrenaline flowing. Just like Sophie, the memories you create in your time here will be worth the journey.
So long as those flaws don’t seem like deal breakers, Dynasty Warriors Origin is the easiest recommendation I’ve had in the mainline series. It’s got a more substantial format, more potent storytelling, and more engaging combat than the series has seen before. While individual elements of other games may stand out, Origins is the most complete package currently, even though it’s not the full Romance of the Three Kingdoms story.
Team Ninja takes a big swing with Rise of the Ronin, and for the most part it pays off, albeit with a number of speed bumps along the way.
An opportunity to explore Chinese mythology, unfortunately wasted due to poor execution.
An amazing, older classic action game continues to be incredible despite its years, and it looks better than ever moving to modern platforms.
Die-hard fans of Mario RPGs have a lot of content to sink their teeth into with Mario & Luigi: Brothership, but it’s a hard sell to anyone else.
A worthy upgrade to an indie favorite.
A well-made SRPG with a full commitment to its piratical inspirations, even if it takes longer than it should to learn systems and control patterns.
Neon Blood opens with some undeniable potential, but it's too short and ultimately feels hollow.
I praise the developers for making an accessible yet strategic roguelike because this subgenre often has a steep learning curve and barrier for entry. While I’ve beaten the game, I can tell that I’m going to do my routine 90% completion on this game, even after investing 20 hours. The post-game is the game.