Highlight Archives | Page 22 of 23

Dredge

Posted by Jerry Williams on April 8, 2023

I have immense admiration for creators and artists who attempt earnestly to capture what H.P. Lovecraft wrote about over a hundred years ago. A sub-genre in their own right, Lovecraftian books, board games, video games, and on and on probe that which cannot be probed. They attempt to conceive of tha… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 106 – Rhythm de Chocobo

Posted by Mike Salbato on April 3, 2023

In preparation for April Fool’s Day, someone at RPGFan suggested we finally tackle a long-standing idea: a joke episode that features only chocobo music from Final Fantasy. We loved the idea, but then a funny thing happened — a perfectly normal episode celebrating Nobuo Uematsu’s iconic theme and it… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 4/2/23

Posted by Gio Castillo on April 2, 2023

It is time once again to discuss the RPGs Coming This Week. We’ve got a major rerelease from one of gaming’s most visually distinctive developers, a hefty chunk of new content for one of 2023’s biggest releases so far, and a port of an indie title we liked quite a bit. Let’s get into it! GrimGrimoir… Read More »

Mato Anomalies

Posted by Audra Bowling on April 2, 2023

Mato Anomalies is a tale of duality. The game switches between two protagonists during pivotal story moments, provides two different-yet-interconnected worlds to explore, and offers two different plots as you progress through the narrative. Most of the time, these converging threads weave together t… Read More »

The Last Spell

Posted by Jerry Williams on April 1, 2023

Strategy RPGs and roguelikes. We don’t often see the combination together because they’re both inherently complex and rely on several systems to work. Roguelikes rely on procedural generation, permadeath, and generous randomization, while SRPGs rely on turn-based hex- or grid-based movement, robust… Read More »

Retro Encounter 371 – Like A Dragon: Ishin! Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 30, 2023

More brutal murders than John Wick and more mistaken identities than Twelfth Night. Ryu Ga Gotoku: Ishin! plays fast and loose with the events of Bakumatsu Japan, with multiple historical figures assuming second personas, a legendary alliance forged through a drunken brawl instead of care… Read More »

Belle Automata: Chronicle I

Posted by Audra Bowling on March 29, 2023

What does becoming sentient in a world that isn’t ready for you mean? Dreamweaver android model Aureve must find out in Belle Automata: Chronicle I, an indie otome visual novel by Jellyfish Parade. Aureve’s journey of self-discovery intertwines with a cast of likable characters in a sci-fi… Read More »

Random Encounter 264 – Parental Guidance is Advised

Posted by Jonathan Logan on March 27, 2023

On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re talking about how to introduce your children to video games, specifically RPGs. We’re far away from the 1980s, back when most parents saw video games as a “fad” or “waste of time.” Instead, parents nowadays see games as a legitimate form of entertainment at… Read More »

Esperia ~Uprising of the Scarlet Witch~

Posted by Audra Bowling on March 26, 2023

Arthurian lore meets epic fantasy trappings and dire political machinations in the SRPG journey Esperia ~Uprising of the Scarlet Witch~. Despite suffering from a not-so-error-free script and some very noticeable visual hiccups, the twenty-to-thirty-hour-long campaign is still a pleasant en… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 3/26/23

Posted by Gio Castillo on March 26, 2023

Welcome, readers, to another edition of RPGs Coming This Week! We’re bringing a nice selection of indies this week. Let’s get started. Dredge – March 30th (PS5, XSX, PS4, XB1, Switch, Windows) Dredge is almost certainly the most original title we’ve covered in 2023 so far. It’s a horror-adjacent fis… Read More »

One Deck Dungeon: Abyssal Depths Board Game Expansion Review

Posted by Jerry Williams on March 25, 2023

For the uninitiated, One Deck Dungeon is the definitive casual dungeon-delving experience anyone can have on a table top, full stop. I reviewed it and one of its expansions, Forest of Shadows a few years ago, giving both high marks for their teeth and presentation. Here, I’m a little late to the par… Read More »

Lost Odyssey

Posted by Peter Triezenberg on March 24, 2023

The seventh generation of consoles was an… interesting time for the Japanese game industry. The ballooning costs of high-definition game development and the rising popularity of mobile devices meant that the kind of big-budget experiences console players craved were few and far between. As technolog… Read More »

Retro Encounter 370 – Like A Dragon: Ishin! Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 23, 2023

Kamurocho has nothing on the mean streets of 1860s Kyo. Ryu Ga Gotoku: Ishin! was probably a lost cause to most fans of the Like A Dragon / Yakuza series, but SEGA shocked everyone last year with the announcement of a full remake of the 2014 historical fiction samurai drama to arrive in Februa… Read More »

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key

Posted by Des Miller on March 23, 2023

In 2016, Atelier series developer Gust made one of their most ambitious games ever: Atelier Firis: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Journey. The game featured massive maps, an expanded alchemy system with unique tricks and mechanics, and a grand world with a dizzying array of optional content and are… Read More »

Storyteller

Posted by Jerry Williams on March 22, 2023

When folks think of storytelling, words generally come to mind. Sure, whimsical artwork or cinematography with a melodious or adrenaline-infused soundtrack walk in tandem, but writing and the spoken word are king. Though sometimes, body language or a cheeky smirk can say more than any set of words c… Read More »

Mr. Saitou

Posted by Jerry Williams on March 21, 2023

Storytelling in video games has cemented itself as a unique medium for art. Whether you’re in for laughs, tears, or a philosophical “hmm,” video games have you covered with high-quality options. One genre that I am not sure has had enough attention is “slice of life,” a voyeuristic peek into a secti… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 3/19/23

Posted by Gio Castillo on March 19, 2023

Welcome, readers, to another edition of RPGs Coming This Week! The slow but steady drip of releases continues as we March onward to April. If you’re a fan of colorful aesthetics and lush environments with lots of things to do, keep reading! Mr. Saitou – March 23rd (Switch, Windows) Oho, bet you didn… Read More »

Tyrant’s Blessing

Posted by Audra Bowling on March 18, 2023

Indie SRPG Tyrant’s Blessing is something of a mixed blessing. A minimalist story combined with a satisfying and challenging gameplay loop awaits those who decide to fight for the island nation Tyberia’s freedom from the undead legions of a necromantic Tyrant. Admittedly, it isn’t a game w… Read More »

Retro Encounter 369 – Our Off-Brand Obsessions

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 16, 2023

All RPGs and no fighting games makes Jack a dull boy. We don’t *solely* play RPGs here at RPGFan, and today is exactly the podcast to express that. Four RPGFan panelists discuss a few of their favorite games that can’t be classified as RPGs with even the most liberal interpretation of the term… Read More »

Escapism and Power Fantasy in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

Posted by Ben Love on March 15, 2023

A New Story For a New Audience Yasumi Matsuno’s Final Fantasy Tactics is a tough act for any game to follow. The Final Fantasy series’ first foray into tactical RPGs garnered universal acclaim, left an indelible mark on the subgenre, and set fan expectations for Final Fantasy spinoffs that could riv… Read More »

Sailing Era

Posted by Ben Love on March 14, 2023

Have you grown tired of the fantasy and science fiction-influenced worlds of your typical RPG? Do you crave a setting with the same potential for adventure, conflict, and discovery as a fantastical world but grounded in real-world history? Sailing Era seeks to scratch that itch by offering… Read More »

Random Encounter 263 – We’re Feeling the Theatrhythm!

Posted by Jonathan Logan on March 13, 2023

On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re diving into some recent non-RPG Final Fantasy spin-offs! First up, we have the first console entry in the long-running Final Fantasy rhythm game series, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. Offering over 380 songs from every Final Fantasy game (with m… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 3/12/23

Posted by Gio Castillo on March 12, 2023

And we’re back with another edition of RPGs Coming This Week! It’s going to be a brief one this time around; we’ve got just three releases this week, one of which is probably the overwhelming choice for most of us. Still, I’d wager the other two titles are worth a look. Let’s get cracking! The Legen… Read More »

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – The Adventure Game Review

Posted by Jerry Williams on March 11, 2023

Skyrim is on eight platforms: nine if you count both Xbox Series X and S. Is it on mobile yet? While the board game iteration isn’t a port, it remains faithful to the massively successful title in its theming. Aside from the sheen, is this a deep, rich experience or a cash grab based on names and im… Read More »

Top 10 Fishing Minigames in RPGs

Posted by Noah Leiter on March 10, 2023

I love fishing games. I remember that, as kids, my friends and I would huddle around a Mattel Bass Fishin’ handheld on summer road trips to the Lake of the Ozarks, a famous Missouri hot spot for money laundering fishing. We had the time of our lives with that low-tech masterpiece. That’s because fis… Read More »

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