We’ve arrived at possibly the final RPGs Coming This Week of the year. The 2023 release calendar is sparse from here on out, and, while anything is possible, I don’t expect that to change anymore. And that’s okay! There’s been an absolute deluge of games to play this year, and judging by the first f… Read More »
The original Super Mario RPG, released in 1996 for the SNES, holds a special place in my heart. It was my first RPG, and I had no idea what an RPG even was at the time. It wasn’t until later that I learned what the acronym meant, and I realized that Mario and company helped usher in my love of the g… Read More »
Welcome to Round 3 of the RPGFan Games of the Year Bracket Battle, where we pit all of our Game of the Year winners against each other to discover the ultimate Game of the Year! Now, we’re down to just four games. The last round was a tight one in a few categories, but now we have some big ones. But… Read More »
Surprising news to all who adore Mimimi Games’ work: the studio is closing down. I had initially thought Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew’s full release was the finale, but here we are, graced with two DLCs: Yuki’s Wish and Zagan’s Ritual. Each DLC boasts six new missions, one new island, and one new… Read More »
Mana fans, are you ready for 2024? At The Game Awards 2023, publisher and developer Square Enix surprised everyone by announcing Visions of Mana, the newest mainline entry in the series in 15 years. The new action RPG title is coming in 2024 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Seri… Read More »
Dungeons and Darkspawn Dragon Age, a standout mini series from BioWare’s golden age of RPGs, is a blend of high fantasy, dark fantasy, politics, and dating sim that made a big splash in 2009. Two Grey Warden veterans and one Dragon Age neophyte form a Retro Encounter panel to take on the Darkspawn B… Read More »
Behold! A new edition of Day of the Devs is upon us, and while many wonderful indie-centric online showcases have materialized since 2020, only one of them features introductions by the uncomparable Tim Schafer and other fine Double Fine and iam8bit folks. We got a peek at 20 of the games featured,… Read More »
Michael Sollosi Bloodborne is a revelation. An intense action RPG with incredible freedom and drama, draped in a blood-soaked Gothic aesthetic that’s brutal and beautiful, Bloodborne’s environments, boss fights, and hidden secrets get more fascinating by the minute. Bloodborne is the game that gave… Read More »
2023 has been an unprecedented year for video games. We not only saw some of the finest sequels/installments in gaming’s most storied franchises, but we also received a plethora of other AAA-grade titles, a cavalcade of indie/art-house gems, killer remakes/remasters, and sleeper hits galore. Allow m… Read More »
It’s time for another composer spotlight on Rhythm Encounter, and this time we’re celebrating the works of Hiroki Kikuta. Many RPG fans know his work on the Mana series — particularly Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana — but there’s much more to Kikuta than many people know. From a PSone game that ne… Read More »
It is December 3rd, 2023. I am writing “RPGs Coming This Week, 12/3/23” while sipping hazelnut coffee and listening to the Ys Origin soundtrack on vinyl with my partner. I want to immortalize this moment in time because, well, I’m happy and I want to flex a bit. Anyhoo, let’s get into all the RPGs c… Read More »
My first foray into Winter Wolves’ fantasy realm of Aravorn was the Kindle mobile version of Loren the Amazon Princess. I was pleasantly surprised by Loren, a choice-heavy narrative highlighting some of the best elements of both visual novels and traditional RPGs. It isn’t an entirely flawless gamin… Read More »
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and its counterpart, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, were released during a time of transition for both the Zelda series and video games as a whole. In 2001, Oracle of Ages was one of the last Game Boy Color games before the release of the Game Boy Advance… Read More »
After reviewing Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, I found myself in the middle of my own personal crisis. My overall impressions of the game were not great. It featured a disappointing story, way too much recycled content, and the return of a minigame (the Cabaret Club) that the ser… Read More »
There was a young woman named Elise, an unassuming villager in the small, quiet town of Kieferberg. One day, an odd girl appeared outside Elise’s house. Elise took her in and fed her, and they quickly became friends. But as strange things began to happen around town, rumors started to spread, and th… Read More »
On the next Random Encounter, we delve into the vibrant worlds of Super Mario RPG and Persona 5 Tactica, and tackle the complex issue of redemption arcs in game publishing. First, Caitlin unpacks the Super Mario RPG Remake. Despite some minor frame rate drops and easy difficulty, does the game’s tim… Read More »
On this edition of RPGs Coming This Week: A dark prince and… precious little else. I mean, there’s stuff, but not anything you haven’t seen before. It’s all about slimes this week, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince – December 1st (Switch) I can’t get over… Read More »
Pathfinder is a storied IP (intellectual property) with a rich history nearly synonymous with Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). While the pen-and-paper RPG remains a popular alternative to D&D for the geekiest among us, the PC iterations have not fared as well, with lukewarm critical praise for… Read More »
Bleeding its horror / Creating my structure Welcome, good hunter! Retro Encounter discusses a From Software Souls-like in detail for the first time, with the Playstation 4’s Bloodborne. Four panelists discuss the city of Yarnham, trick weapons, the Souls formula, and more in this episode about a blo… Read More »
When you think of Japanese game development, the first things that probably come to mind are the massive global game development houses like Square Enix, Capcom, Sega, or Bandai Namco. These companies have created some all-time classic games that have dominated and defined the industry for most of u… Read More »
We’re knee-deep in fall leaves in some parts of the world, though much like our spring themes episode earlier this year, what autumn (or fall) means to each of our panelists varies. Some of us chose songs based on cozy evenings with a hot drink, and some of us used our imaginations since not everyon… Read More »
Quirky indie games are a dime-a-dozen these days, spearheaded by nostalgia for Earthbound and the dominant success of Undertale. At first glance, In Stars and Time might seem like just another — albeit adorable — entry in this prevalent new genre, but solo developer Adrienne Bazir’s ambitious tale o… Read More »
Hello, friends! Welcome to another edition of RPGs Coming This Week. The release schedule is starting to wind down now, and I’m pretty satisfied with what 2023 has brought. Final Fantasy XVI, Star Ocean: The Second Story R, Baldur’s Gate III… we’re utterly spoiled for choice. With that said, there… Read More »
On paper, Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn checks all the boxes for a DLC. I know that’s an odd way to start this review, but other similarly marketed DLC, notably from the Xenoblade Chronicles series, sets a high bar. Torna: The Golden Country and Future Redeemed explored different casts of c… Read More »
Some RPG fans may have been introduced to the idea of hip-hop/JRPG fusion with Mega Ran and Lost Perception’s Rap recounting of Final Fantasy VII, Black Materia, or more recently with its reimagining to celebrate the release of FFVII Remake. Well, this legacy is continuing as Mega Ran’s record label… 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.