3) Mythic Ocean Mythic Ocean is a visual novel with a 3D open-world feel, a go-with-the-flow vibe, and some pretty funky characters. Its imaginative setting is an odd “limbo” where the world just ended and it’s now time to figure out how to make a new one. Mythic Ocean is a very interesting game who… Read More »
Best PS2-era RPG of the Year and Also 2011: Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition I really like Dragon Quest VIII. I like Dragon Quest VIII so much, it became my golden standard for JRPGs and nurtured my obsession with PS2-era JRPGs. Their overarching scope, the broad variety of game mechanics, a… Read More »
Whether we like it or not, 2020 is going to be a historic year for a bunch of reasons. The start of the 2020s is forever shadowed by the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on everything, including the video game industry. Despite all this, 2020 still managed to push out some great games and, more t… Read More »
Preview in new tab I don’t think I’ve ever struggled to write about my favourite games as much as I have this year. Not because I couldn’t come up with anything, but because it meant looking back at a year I’d rather forget. At times, I’ve barely had the energy to play video games; at others, I’ve n… Read More »
Buried Stars OST Buried Stars is an engaging visual novel with a fantastically tense atmosphere, and its music certainly helped to convey the claustrophobic sense of stress and unease that the plot was going for. I adored the vocal theme “Be Honest,” but the instrumental tracks used throughout the t… Read More »
KINGDOM HEARTS – III, II.8, Unchained χ & Union χ [Cross] OST by Adam Luhrs I previously described Final Fantasy VII Remake’s soundtrack as a “musical smorgasbord of absurd dimensions.” I realize now that I should have kept that superlative in my pocket because the soundtrack to Kingdom Hearts I… Read More »
Haven Original Soundtrack Where the heck did this come from? I hadn’t heard of Haven until its appearances in summer 2020’s many virtual game showcases, and quickly became entranced by the setting and visual style. The music seemed pretty nice too, but it wasn’t until I bought Danger’s full soundtra… Read More »
Best Original Soundtrack KINGDOM HEARTS – III, II.8, Unchained χ & Union χ [Cross] – Original Soundtrack Well, we have been waiting quite a long time for this one. But it finally happened. And not only did we get the full KHIII soundtrack, but — as has been done in past releases — Square Enix de… Read More »
The “Overlooked Final Fantasy Music” Award: Final Fantasy III: Four Souls So, I may have been touting FFIII music as overlooked ever since “Elia, the Maiden of Water” showed up in the A New World concert repertoire. Whether you’ve heard it there, in the extremely well done Crystal Tower series in FF… Read More »
Shin Sakura Wars Kayou Zenshuu (New Sakura Wars Vocal Songs) Picture an alternate history in which Mel Brooks was born in Japan, he directed a series of Tokusatsu musicals in the 90s, and then SEGA dug up his work decades later and said, “This…but EVEN MORE!” That’s Kohei Tanaka’s soundtrack for Sak… Read More »
Overall Favourite – 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Original Soundtrack A video game about school kids, giant mechs, yakisoba pan, idols, and more needs a varied soundtrack to match its overwhelming world. Luckily, long-time Vanillaware collaborators Hitoshi Sakimoto and Basiscape have created what is easil… Read More »
Amongst Borderlands fans, Tiny Tina is a beloved character whose daft demeanor is brought to life by Ashly Burch. While this translates well to video games as an interactive medium, when it’s up to players to recreate Tiny Tina’s persona on the table, how far can the character go? XYZ Game Labs got… Read More »
Origins has an awards ceremony every year, honoring designers in the board gaming industry in one fashion or another. Historically, developers, artists, and writers have all received awards, and being added to the Hall of Game is truly an indicator of prestige. With names like Gary Gygax, Richard Ga… Read More »
My wife and I made the big decision to attend Origins as new parents this year. We wanted to bring Zoe to her first gaming convention and share with her something we found incredibly important to us. Although she was only nine months old at the time and probably incapable of remembering anything abo… Read More »
KeyForge For those not in the know, KeyForge released last year with a gimmick that I sneered at. I’m not sneering anymore! After earning the Origins award for Best Collectible Game (which I voted for), Richard Garfield’s latest creation is here to stay, and fans couldn’t be happier. I have a lot to… Read More »
In the third and final part of our 30 Best RPG Dads feature, we have lawyers, blacksmiths, aliens, and everyone’s favorite Nopon. Go To Part 1 Go To Part 2 Olaf Craig (The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel series) Writeup by Audra Bowling Image source: The Legend of Heroes Wiki Olaf Craig… Read More »
The middle part of our 30 Best RPG Dads feature runs the gamut of consoles and generations, featuring father figures from current-gen consoles, all the way back to the 16-bit days of the 1990s. Let’s blitz! Go To Part 1 Go To Part 3 Ben Hyuga/Fox Face (Shadow Hearts) Writeup by Peter Triezenber… Read More »
We at RPGFan wanted to give some appreciation to the mothers out there on this Mother’s Day, so we’ve compiled a list who we feel are the 20 Best RPG Moms, along with commentary. Some are incredibly giving, some are complex, and two…well…let’s just say the last two are antagonists where those mo… Read More »
Finally, we arrive at today’s logo and where the RPGFan identity (and logo) is going in the near future. Part 1: 1997–2007 Part 2: 2007–2015 Part VII: Strip It Down (2015–2018) There are many rules and guidelines in logo design, and one really good one to follow is to create something that works in… Read More »
Our journey continues with the biggest shift in the look of our logo since the beginning, when we introduced a new font and shield in 2007–2008. Part 1: 1997–2007 Part 3: 2015–2018 Part V: Charlemagne, King of Logos (2007–2008) Now we’re talking. In 2007, I finally sat down and came up with a standa… Read More »
We aren’t done yet! Here are even more of who we consider the best RPG dogs. Go to Part 1 Mabari Hound/”Dog” (Dragon Age: Origins) by Tina Olah The Mabari War Hound. A mighty battle dog of ferocious appearance (somewhat resembling a very large pit bull), rumored to have descended from wolves…in ad… Read More »
Look, we can say we love Link all we want, but with the exception of a cartoon and CD-i series of games we don’t discuss, Link is intentionally a blank slate for us to define as a hero. As such, characterization and narrative in Zelda comes from the rest of the cast. Often that can be Zelda herself,… Read More »
No Zelda is complete without both simple and elaborate sidequests. There are plenty of small ones: little things Link can do that can lead the way to new discoveries or fun rewards. But then there are the really in-depth ones, like some of Majora’s Mask’s questlines, or the world-scouring collect-a-… Read More »
We debated whether these were really “secrets” or “easter eggs,” but whatever you call these things, they’re but a handful of examples of the Zelda series’ wonderful attention to detail and things you sometimes have to really go out of your way to find. Sometimes your curiosity leads to reward in th… Read More »
< More on Page 1 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s (OoT) iconic status is rooted in what it meant for both the franchise and the industry as a whole. Link’s transition into the 3D era on the Nintendo 64 presented an opportunity — really a necessity… Read More »
RPGFan uses cookies to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.