Highlight(s) Archive

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RPGs Coming This Week, 12/10/23

Posted by Gio Castillo on December 10, 2023

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 »

Super Mario RPG

Posted by Caitlin Argyros on December 9, 2023

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 »

Revisiting RPGFan Games of the Year: Bracket Battle – Round 3

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on December 8, 2023

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 »

Shadow Gambit: Yuki’s Wish and Zagan’s Ritual

Posted by Jerry Williams on December 8, 2023

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 »

Visions of Mana Unveiled for 2024 Release

Posted by Tin Manuel on December 8, 2023

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 »

Retro Encounter 394 – Dragon Age: Origins Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on December 7, 2023

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 »

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The Games of Day of the Devs: The Game Awards Edition

Posted by Mike Salbato on December 6, 2023

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 »

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Retro Encounter Final Thoughts: Bloodborne

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on December 5, 2023

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 »

Solace State: Emotional Cyberpunk Stories

Posted by Neal Chandran on December 5, 2023

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 »

Rhythm Encounter 123 – The Secret Trials of Hiroki Kikuta

Posted by Mike Salbato on December 4, 2023

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 »

RPGs Coming This Week, 12/3/23

Posted by Gio Castillo on December 3, 2023

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 »

Tales of Aravorn: An Elven Marriage

Posted by Audra Bowling on December 2, 2023

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

Posted by Joshua Lindquist on December 1, 2023

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 »

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Demo Preview

Posted by Jonathan Logan on November 29, 2023

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 »

Little Goody Two Shoes

Posted by Abraham Kobylanski on November 28, 2023

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 »

Random Encounter 283 – Super Mario RPG is Back!

Posted by Jonathan Logan on November 27, 2023

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 »

RPGs Coming This Week, 11/26/23

Posted by Gio Castillo on November 26, 2023

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: Gallowspire Survivors

Posted by Jerry Williams on November 25, 2023

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 »

Retro Encounter 392 – Bloodborne Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on November 24, 2023

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 »

ASTLIBRA Revision

Posted by Ben Love on November 22, 2023

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 »

Rhythm Encounter 122 – The Sounds of Autumn: Pumpkin Spice II

Posted by Mike Salbato on November 20, 2023

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 »

In Stars and Time

Posted by Izzy Parsons on November 20, 2023

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 »

RPGs Coming This Week, 11/19/23

Posted by Gio Castillo on November 19, 2023

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 »

Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on November 18, 2023

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 »

Radical Dreamers Album Infuses Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger with Hip-Hop – Exclusive Music Video

Posted by Hilary Andreff on November 17, 2023

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 »