• Review

Wuthering Waves

It’s no surprise that HoYoVerse titles such as Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero dominate the gacha market given their absurdly high quality and seemingly infinite budgets. Yet, is there room on the world stage for an unproven competitor to swing at the king and make some wave… Read More »
  • Review

Tunguska: The Visitation

Solo developers hold a special place in my heart. Seeing one person do the arduous work of multiple disciplines all the way to release is nothing short of inspirational. Home runs like Papers Please are also easy enough to praise from the consumer’s perspective, with the developer’s dedication shini… Read More »
  • Review

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

What do you get when you combine 2D Zelda-ish world design, cute coloring book mechanics and aesthetics, and a story featuring sincere depictions and reflections on depression and impostor syndrome? Turns out one of the most enjoyable, original, and impactful indie games yet made. I never got around… Read More »
  • Review

No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files

In his review of Dragon Quest XI, Tim Rogers described the Dragon Quest series as “hangout games,” where much of their appeal comes from spending time with the cast and soaking in their personalities. This concept informs much of my perspective on ensemble casts, especially when it comes to RPGs. Ko… Read More »

Retro Encounter 464 – Breath of Fire II Part I

It is podcasts. On this week’s episode, two old veterans and one newcomer dive into the 1995 SNES RPG Breath of Fire II. A game known for its brutal grind and maybe even more brutal localization, some of the panelists still have a soft spot for it all these years later. Is the localization really th… Read More »
  • Feature

‘Now That’s What I Call 10 out of 10!’ – A Star Ocean Series Retrospective

The Star Ocean series is, in my opinion, massively underappreciated. Since beginning back in the mid-1990s, it has had quite the bumpy road, with entries generally releasing just once per generation and with wildly varying budgets and critical and player responses. Admirably, the Star Ocean games ha… Read More »

Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack Adds New Characters and Story

Tell me if this is you: the Atelier Ryza games look so good, but I don’t want to buy each individually. Good news! The upcoming Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack includes all three titles in one package. Plus, each game will feature new playable characters and story content! Ryza’s journey beg… Read More »
  • Review

Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition

I can’t believe we finally have a complete set of the remastered Neverwinter Nights series. After the accomplished rework of the original CRPG game, Aspyr has brought the classic follow-up, Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition—a game some believed unlikely to make the journey—to modern d… Read More »

Dear me, I was… Announced by Arc System Works

From the title alone, Dear me, I was… already sounds like it will tug on the heartstrings. Throw in the gorgeous art of Taisuke Kanasaki (Another Code: Recollection, Hotel Dusk: Room 215), and we’re in for a treat! Arc System Works announced the adventure game following a young girl’s everyday lif… Read More »

Metro Quester: Osaka Heads to Mobile July 31st

Kemco has announced that dungeon crawler RPG Metro Quester: Osaka is coming to mobile platforms on July 31st. Pre-registration and pre-orders are up now on iOS and Android. This latest game follows Metro Quester, which just released on mobile last April. Both games are already available on PlayStati… Read More »
  • Review

Hanako’s Flower Shop

Actions speak louder than words, and they can even jumpstart much-needed conversations. The language of flowers embodies that sentiment, allowing for hidden meaning and symbolism behind the seemingly simple act of choosing a bouquet for someone. Such is the premise behind the visual novel Hanako’s F… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 7/13/25

In this edition of RPGs Coming This Week, our sleepy July finally perks up. On the slate are a long-overdue remaster, an action RPG based on a manga/anime franchise, and a selection of interesting indie titles. I think it’s safe to say things never get samey around here, even during the quieter time… Read More »
  • Review

Covenant of Solitude

Covenant of Solitude is a KEMCO-published RPG from developer Magitec that was first released on mobile devices back in 2013. Now, it’s made its way to other platforms, including Steam. Covenant of Solitude unabashedly hearkens back to the 16-bit era of RPGs from the 1990s, but does it do enough to s… Read More »
  • Feature

Retro Encounter Final Thoughts – Fallout: New Vegas

Audra Bowling Fallout: New Vegas was my first foray into the Fallout series, and it is one heck of a great starting point. I’m not always a huge fan of some of the dated gameplay mechanics: why can’t I lug around as many jugs of purified water as I want and still fast travel, darn it?!? But the choi… Read More »
  • Review

Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer

From Clifftop Games comes the return of Kathy Rain, a beloved adventure gaming icon of the past decade, now with a new adventure that is twice the length and scope of the original game in Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer. Does it match up to or even surpass the original, or is it more of a sophomore slump?… Read More »

Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree Update Adds New Game+ Mode and More

Primal Game Studio and Knights Peak have announced that their dark-fantasy action RPG Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree has just received the substantial Update 1.6, now live on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The patch introduces the long-awaited New Game+ mode and much more. Check out… Read More »

Latest Monster Hunter Wilds Update Brings Lagiacrus and Seregios to the Wilds

During the latest Capcom Spotlight, Capcom detailed Title Update 2 for Monster Hunter Wilds, headlined by the comeback of two fan-favourite monsters: Lagiacrus and Seregios. Lagiacrus, the iconic leviathan from Monster Hunter 3, returns with all-new underwater showdowns, complete with exclusive aqua… Read More »
  • Article

Prolific Composer Motoi Sakuraba Joins Scarlet Moon Artists Lineup

Motoi Sakuraba, the legendary composer behind Dark Souls, Tales, Star Ocean, Valkyrie Profile, and many more games (and especially RPGs!), has joined Scarlet Moon Artists. This branch of music label Scarlet Moon began in 2014 and includes many talented musicians who are available for indie projects… Read More »
  • Review

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Battle Destiny Remastered

Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m a Gundam fan. I enjoy the high-stakes mecha battles, epic science-fiction stories buoyed by political machinations, and the horrific and believable impact of war experienced by painfully human characters. I’ve been hooked on the franchise since watching Mobile Suit Gundam Wi… Read More »
  • Review

Deltarune (Chapters 3+4)

In my recent review of Chapters 1+2, I discussed Deltarune mainly on a macro level: how its legacy ties to Undertale, its main design iterations, and the broad narrative themes it sets up. Having already gone over that, I won’t be retreading any of it. If Toby Fox can just pick up from where he left… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 161 – Mobile RPG Music Medley

Say what you want about your average mobile game, but there are a growing number of great RPGs you can play on your phone. Sure, some have hostile gacha mechanics, and many of the best get shut down eventually, but the care, budget, attention, and talent that goes into some mobile RPG soundtracks is… Read More »
  • Feature

SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered Interview with Hiroyuki Miura and Naofumi Ueno

Though Square Enix had hinted at an eventual SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered over the past five years, it definitely came as a surprise when they shadow-dropped it on March 27th, 2025 as part of a Nintendo Direct broadcast. While I (Patrick) enjoyed playing through this remastered version of the classic… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 7/6/25

Our quiet July continues in this edition of RPGs Coming This Week. It seems there aren’t as many games releasing this month, even outside the scope of RPGFan. Anyway, it took a little more digging than usual, but I managed to unearth some potential treasures for us. Let’s get down to business, shall… Read More »

Pera Coda, a Mystery Adventure Set in Istanbul, Announced for Steam

With inspiration taken from critically acclaimed Disco Elysium and the beautiful architecture of Istanbul, Pera Coda already sounds promising. Throw in puzzles that rely on time loop mechanics similar to the game 12 Minutes and exploration-driven mysteries like in Outer Wilds, and you’ve got quite t… Read More »

Aksys to Publish House of Fata Morgana Creator’s Project Code M

At the recent Anime Expo, Aksys Games announced it will publish Novect’s (formerly Novectacle) upcoming title, Project Code M. The mystery adventure visual novel was first teased in 2022, for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, as Project Code Name M. Based on the trailer below, it is… Read More »
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