- Music Review
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector Soundtrack
āWake up, Sleeper.ā In Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, you awaken once again into your new body, its context, its emotionsāor rather, singular emotion: fear. Somewhere, another you has signed away your consciousness to be emulated into a sleeper, a synthetic body built to toil in deep space on bā¦ Read More »- Review
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
In the not-so-far future of 2029 (okay, itās slightly farther from Deus Ex: Mankind Dividedās 2016 release), the world is still reeling from the āAug Incidentā that struck two years earlier, as depicted in Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011). Humansāor ānaturalsāāare disconcerted and distrustful of theā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Atelier Yumia Gets a Free Collaboration With Tales of Graces f Remastered
Publisher Koei Tecmo and developer Gust have partnered with Bandai Namco to release a free Tales of Graces f Remastered DLC costume for Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land. Yumia gets to wear Asbel’s outfit in-game. This bonus update is live now on PlayStation 5, PlaySā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive Announced for PC and Xbox
One of the hottest webtoon and anime series is getting its own action RPG! Revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this month, Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive recounts Sung Jinwoo’s adventures as a E-rank hunter along with adding new story, raids of up to four players, weapon customization, aā¦ Read More »- Review
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director’s Cut
In 2011, Deus Ex: Human Revolution revitalized a franchise, garnering heavy praise yet alienating fans of the original who sought a faithful “immersive sim” follow-up. Two years later, Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director’s Cut launched to PC and all current consoles, including the series’ first forayā¦ Read More »- Review
Deus Ex: Invisible War
The shining reputation the first Deus Ex enjoys is no accident. Director Warren Spector has stated that Ion Storm’s John Romero asked him to make the game of his dreams without budget restrictions and with a large marketing push. Under those circumstances, visions of grandeur seem inevitable. What iā¦ Read More »- Review
Deus Ex
[Editor’s Note: June 23rd, 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the original Deus Ex. In honor of this, we have asked our review team to offer fresh looks at all four mainline games in the series. Be on the lookout for those later this week!] Twenty-five years ago today, we were given a glimpse into tā¦ Read More »- Article
- Rhythm Encounter
- Podcast
Rhythm Encounter 160 – Foliage Ocean: The Second Story
It’s been nearly nine years since we published our first episode about RPG forest music, so it is high time we revisited the topic! Forest music comes in several varieties, from contemplative to mysterious, upbeat to foreboding, and many more. Today’s long-awaited episode covers RPG music with a reaā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Alzara: Radiant Echoes Developer Studio Camelia Shuts Down, Game on Indefinite Pause
Announced in 2024, Alzara: Radiant Echoes looked like it had it all: music by Motoi Sakuraba (Tales of series, Star Ocean), Yoshiro Ambe (Trials of Mana, Genshin Impact), and influences from Golden Sun and Final Fantasy X. Unfortunately, not all Kickstarter campaigns fulfill their promises. However,ā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 6/22/25
In this edition of RPGs Coming This Week, we run the gamut from strategy RPGs to visual novels. This lineup feels like it offers something for everyone ā even more than it usually does. I, for one, can’t wait to dive in. Let’s do this! Gales of Nayeli – June 23rd (Windows) Gales of Nayeli is a grid-ā¦ Read More »- Music Review
Citizen Sleeper (Original Soundtrack)
āItās at its worst when waking, when your self has spent many dark hours recalling what it felt like to be real, to be a person, to be in a body that was indisputably yours.ā Right from the opening lines of solo developer Jump Over the Ageās (Gareth Damian Martinās) Citizen Sleeper, the theme of theā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon Adds Switch 2 Version, Launches 2026
In addition to the Nintendo Switch 2 (Game-Key card, btw) version, publisher NISA and developer Nihon Falcom have announced that the western release of The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon will be moved to January 2026. Initially, the game was scheduled to launch this fall only for PlayStā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Disgaea 7 Complete Launches Exclusively for Switch 2 This Fall
With zany characters and attack numbers in the millions, the Disgaea series has hit a chord with strategy RPG fans for the last two decades. The latest entry, Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless, launched back in 2023 for multiple consoles, but only one console will have a new enhanced package with alā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Vibrant Co-Op RPG Farever Enters Beta in 2025
Shiro Games, the French developer behind Wartales and Evoland, has announced Farever, a new co-op action RPG set in the high-fantasy world of Siagarta. The reveal took place during the latest PC Gaming Show, confirming a PC release via Steam with a beta planned for 2025. If you enjoy exploring wildā¦ Read More »- Article
- Retro Encounter
- Podcast
Retro Encounter 462 – Deus Ex RetroSpective
We always love to celebrate birthdays here at Retro Encounter, and one of our all-time favourite RPGs/immersive sims has a big one coming up! Deus Ex is turning 25 years old! In honour of this momentous occasion, we’ve assembled a panel of fans to chat about each entry in the series. Whether you’reā¦ Read More »- Review
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army
As someone who grew up with RPGs, I’ve long championed remasters of forgotten titles, especially now that most classic games are no longer accessible on modern platforms. Reviving lost titles has never been more important. Enter RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, one of the best exā¦ Read More »- Article
- Preview
Digimon Story: Time Stranger Hands-On Impressions at Summer Game Fest 2025
Iāve heard great things about the Digimon Story series, but unfortunately, I havenāt had the chance to check these games out yet. Digimon Story: Time Stranger is making me want to rectify that, as I had a fantasticĀ time with the title during Summer Game Fest. From developer Media.Vision and publisheā¦ Read More »- Article
- Preview
Summer Game Fest 2025 Demo Round-Up: Petal Runner, Blighted, and More
Summer news season is in full swing, and I had the chance to get hands-on with some fantastic upcoming titles at Summer Game Fest! From an adorable, pixelated Game Boy Color throwback to a cozy mix of dungeon-crawling and shopkeeping, there was no shortage of creativity on display in this yearās linā¦ Read More »Article
Random Encounter 325 – Time for a Switch 2!
On this week’s Random Encounter, we’ve finally recovered from Not-E3, so now it’s time to talk about the Switch 2! Nintendo’s long-awaited follow-up to the Switch has finally released and, surprise, it’s still the Switch! The Nintendo Switch 2 is burning up the sales charts and already consuming couā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 6/15/25
In this edition of RPGs Coming This Week, dating sims and devil summoners! Not in the same game, though, but I’m certain Persona enjoyers will appreciate what’s on here. I’m also certain there is at least one otome game out there that is the exact intersection of those two concepts. To round it allā¦ Read More »- Article
- Preview
TOEM 2 Hands-On Impressions at Summer Game Fest 2025
Adorable environments, a neat black-and-white aesthetic, endearing characters, and some cozy photography are allĀ par for the course in upcoming adventure title TOEM 2! From developers Something We Made and co-publishers popagenda, this sequel to 2021ās TOEM: A Photo Adventure is slated for release iā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Steam Next Fest RPG & Adventure Demos to Check Out This Weekend [UPDATED]
The latest Steam Next Fest kicked off last week, meaning this weekend (until June 16th at 10:00 am PT) is your last chance to check out many of the demos available during the event! But where did the week go? How do you decide what to spend the next 50-ish hours playing in case the demos vanish on Mā¦ Read More »- Article
- Preview
Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy at Summer Game Fest 2025
The highly anticipated Magic: The Gathering and Final Fantasy collaboration has been a lovely thing to witness. Itās brought some fantastic energy into bothĀ these franchises and absolutely oozes passion for the worlds within them. With that context, I was stoked to get the opportunity to speak withā¦ Read More »- Article
- Preview
Dosa Divas Hands-On Impressions at Summer Game Fest 2025
From Outerloop Games, the developers of Thirsty Suitors, Dosa Divas left quite the impression on me during my time with it at this yearās Summer Game Fest. Its combat felt intuitive, its writing was witty, and I already started to get invested in the characters and world in the short time I played iā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Aniimo Announced at Xbox Showcase 2025
PokĆ©mon clones are a dime a dozen these days, but Aniimo is looking to shake things up. Announced during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025, this free-to-play monster-catching game has the usual fixings of the genre: collecting magical creatures and watching them grow stronger and evolve. However, with thā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Lost RPG Navinosuke: The Yo-kai Buster Gets Switch Revival
Unreleased Game Boy Advance RPG Navinosuke: The Yo-kai Buster will finally see the light of day. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch in early 2026. The creature collector title is being rebuilt by Kohachi Studio, which employs former members of original Metal Slug developer Nazca. Multiple representativeā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Neverwinter Nights 2 Gets Enhanced Edition, Due July 15th
Aspyr Games has revealed Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition, coming July 15th to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and GOG. This new version is expected to bring improvements to gameplay and textures, full controller support, Steam Workshop modding, and all threeā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
The Blood of Dawnwalker Launches in 2026
The latest trailer for The Blood of Dawnwalker has confirmed the dark fantasy-themed action RPG will launch in 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Shown at the recent Xbox Games Showcase, the trailer gave us a sneak peek of pre-beta gameplay, as well as a fairly comprehensiveā¦ Read More »- Article
- Preview
Code Vein II First Look at Summer Game Fest 2025
During Summer Game Fest 2025, I got to sit in on a gameplay presentation of Bandai Namcoās upcoming action RPG Code Vein II, a follow-up to their 2019 hit Code Vein! From the looks of it, the developers have truly expanded on the first game, building on its co-op gameplay systems, character customizā¦ Read More »- Review
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
I was hesitant to dive into the FFVII Remake games, as the original Final Fantasy VII holds a special place in my heart as my first-ever RPG experience, opening the door to not only a series I continue to love but a genre I’ve come to deeply appreciate. I’ve many fond memories of the original PlayStā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Game Freak’s Project Bloom Redebuts as Beast of Reincarnation, Due 2026
Two years after its initial announcement, Project Bloom has resurfaced with an official title: Beast of Reincarnation. The action RPG is set for release in 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S (day one on Game Pass), and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. The publisher is Fictions, formerly kā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Wander Stars Coming to Switch, PC August 1st
We finally have a date announcement trailer for Wander Stars! This turn-based RPG, directly inspired by ’90s anime like Cowboy Bebop, Dragon Ball, and Ranma Ā½, is coming on August 1st to Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. On the latter platform, signups are ongoing for a public beta that’ll go live oā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Classes Begin When Demonschool Launches This Summer
Developer Necrosoft Games and publisher Ysbryd Games have announced that tactics RPG Demonschool will release this summer, on PlayStation 5 and 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, the Windows Store, and the Epic Games Store. The release window was revealed as part of a brief trailā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
New Clockwork Revolution Trailer Dazzles with Cinematics and Gameplay
“Coming in due time.” These words click into place as the new trailer for Clockwork Revolution concludes ā the first whiff of news fans have received on this IP in nearly two years (it even made our 2024 Most Anticipated Games feature). Couple the phrase above with the trailer’s final words utteredā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Dispatch Demo Available Now on Steam
AdHoc Studio has released a demo for Dispatch, its narrative-focused superhero adventure, for PC via Steam. The demo gives players a taste of the game’s costumed characters, narrative choices, and strategic gameplay. A short trailer was released as part of PC Gaming Show 2025. Check it out below! Diā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is Giving Strong Mass Effect Vibes
Owlcat Games has revealed The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, an action RPG set in the universe of sci-fi TV series The Expanse. The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, a collaboration between Owlcat and Alcon Interactive Group, is in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (where it’ll be on Steam, theā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
At Fate’s End Brings Family and Furious Swordplay to PS5, Xbox Series & PC in 2026
Developer Thunder Lotus Games has revealed the existence of At Fate’s End, a new action-adventure experience set to release in 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. The announcement came via the Xbox Games Showcase 2025, by way of a stylish trailer involving fluid hand-crafted aā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar Brings the Cozy in Wholesome Direct Trailer
Reviving a dilapidated farm is a standard in farming sims, but revitalizing a town’s bazaar is quite the undertaking! During the recent Wholesome Direct, developer Marvelous reassured us of the coziness of Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar with its latest trailer. Longtime fans will remember this gameā¦ Read More »- Article
- News
The Outer Worlds 2 Invades October 29th
The power of capitalism is alive and well! Long live satire, market share, and Obsidian Entertainment, as The Outer Worlds 2 launches October 29th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Since 2024, Xbox showcases have been must-see TV for gaming fans. After all, it was just one year ago, almostā¦ Read More »- Article
- Random Encounter
- Podcast
