Highlight Archives | Page 4 of 38

‘Now That’s What I Call 10 out of 10!’ – A Star Ocean Series Retrospective

Posted by Rob White on July 16, 2025

The Star Ocean series is, in my opinion, massively underappreciated. Since beginning back in the mid-1990s, it has had quite the bumpy road, with entries generally releasing just once per generation and with wildly varying budgets and critical and player responses. Admirably, the Star Ocean games ha… Read More »

Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition

Posted by Mark Roddison on July 15, 2025

I can’t believe we finally have a complete set of the remastered Neverwinter Nights series. After the accomplished rework of the original CRPG game, Aspyr has brought the classic follow-up, Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition—a game some believed unlikely to make the journey—to modern d… Read More »

Hanako’s Flower Shop

Posted by Audra Bowling on July 13, 2025

Actions speak louder than words, and they can even jumpstart much-needed conversations. The language of flowers embodies that sentiment, allowing for hidden meaning and symbolism behind the seemingly simple act of choosing a bouquet for someone. Such is the premise behind the visual novel Hanako’s F… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 7/13/25

Posted by Claton Stevenson on July 13, 2025

In this edition of RPGs Coming This Week, our sleepy July finally perks up. On the slate are a long-overdue remaster, an action RPG based on a manga/anime franchise, and a selection of interesting indie titles. I think it’s safe to say things never get samey around here, even during the quieter time… Read More »

Covenant of Solitude

Posted by Neal Chandran on July 11, 2025

Covenant of Solitude is a KEMCO-published RPG from developer Magitec that was first released on mobile devices back in 2013. Now, it’s made its way to other platforms, including Steam. Covenant of Solitude unabashedly hearkens back to the 16-bit era of RPGs from the 1990s, but does it do enough to s… Read More »

Retro Encounter Final Thoughts – Fallout: New Vegas

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on July 10, 2025

Audra Bowling Fallout: New Vegas was my first foray into the Fallout series, and it is one heck of a great starting point. I’m not always a huge fan of some of the dated gameplay mechanics: why can’t I lug around as many jugs of purified water as I want and still fast travel, darn it?!? But the choi… Read More »

Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer

Posted by Tom Naylor on July 9, 2025

From Clifftop Games comes the return of Kathy Rain, a beloved adventure gaming icon of the past decade, now with a new adventure that is twice the length and scope of the original game in Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer. Does it match up to or even surpass the original, or is it more of a sophomore slump?… Read More »

Prolific Composer Motoi Sakuraba Joins Scarlet Moon Artists Lineup

Posted by Mike Salbato on July 8, 2025

Motoi Sakuraba, the legendary composer behind Dark Souls, Tales, Star Ocean, Valkyrie Profile, and many more games (and especially RPGs!), has joined Scarlet Moon Artists. This branch of music label Scarlet Moon began in 2014 and includes many talented musicians who are available for indie projects… Read More »

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Battle Destiny Remastered

Posted by Audra Bowling on July 8, 2025

Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m a Gundam fan. I enjoy the high-stakes mecha battles, epic science-fiction stories buoyed by political machinations, and the horrific and believable impact of war experienced by painfully human characters. I’ve been hooked on the franchise since watching Mobile Suit Gundam Wi… Read More »

Deltarune (Chapters 3+4)

Posted by Aleks Franiczek on July 7, 2025

In my recent review of Chapters 1+2, I discussed Deltarune mainly on a macro level: how its legacy ties to Undertale, its main design iterations, and the broad narrative themes it sets up. Having already gone over that, I won’t be retreading any of it. If Toby Fox can just pick up from where he left… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 161 – Mobile RPG Music Medley

Posted by Mike Salbato on July 7, 2025

Say what you want about your average mobile game, but there are a growing number of great RPGs you can play on your phone. Sure, some have hostile gacha mechanics, and many of the best get shut down eventually, but the care, budget, attention, and talent that goes into some mobile RPG soundtracks is… Read More »

SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered Interview with Hiroyuki Miura and Naofumi Ueno

Posted by Patrick Gann on July 6, 2025

Though Square Enix had hinted at an eventual SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered over the past five years, it definitely came as a surprise when they shadow-dropped it on March 27th, 2025 as part of a Nintendo Direct broadcast. While I (Patrick) enjoyed playing through this remastered version of the classic… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 7/6/25

Posted by Gio Castillo on July 6, 2025

Our quiet July continues in this edition of RPGs Coming This Week. It seems there aren’t as many games releasing this month, even outside the scope of RPGFan. Anyway, it took a little more digging than usual, but I managed to unearth some potential treasures for us. Let’s get down to business, shall… Read More »

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Posted by Niki Fakhoori on July 4, 2025

We make the most of the one life we have by layering it with diverse experiences and developing meaningful connections with others. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time seeks to replicate this intricate tapestry by weaving together a variety of gameplay styles and risks becoming a “Jack of all t… Read More »

Retro Encounter 463 – Fallout: New Vegas Part II

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on July 3, 2025

You hear that? Richie Marcus likes Retro Encounter! In today’s episode, the panel gets back together to discuss the second half of Fallout: New Vegas. Our conversation covers The Strip, the endgame, the DLC, and of course, Richie Marcus. Does The Strip live up to its name? Which ending did we pick?… Read More »

Date Everything!

Posted by Neal Chandran on July 2, 2025

If Lucille, late blues icon B.B. King’s immortalized guitar, could talk… oh, the stories she could tell! Francesca, WWE wrestler Xavier Woods’ trombone, is a famed character unto herself in pro wrestling lore. I named my #1 bass guitar Hepzibah. We’ve had many adventures together, and she’s even had… Read More »

CANADAFan: RPGs and Adventure Games from the Great White North

Posted by Jonathan Logan on July 1, 2025

“Made in Canada” used to be kind of a joke in the entertainment industry. Back in the late ’90s, Rick Mercer (one of Canada’s greatest satirists and the host of Talking to Americans) starred in a brilliant Canadian television series, Made in Canada. He played a cutthroat television executive working… Read More »

Crowdfunding Chronicles: DOWNHILL

Posted by Tina Olah on June 30, 2025

It’s common practice to control the main character in a video game, but this time, she knows someone is pulling her strings! DOWNHILL is a bewitching pixel-graphic action RPG and debut title from all-female trio Sisterhood Games.

Random Encounter 326 – Back to Business as Usual

Posted by Jonathan Logan on June 30, 2025

On this week’s Random Encounter, we’re back to business as usual! Not-E3 and the release of the Switch 2 hit us like a hammer. But now that things have finally settled down, it’s time to chat about some games! First up, Aleks gets a chance to talk up the long-awaited Chapters 3+4 of Toby Fox’s follo… Read More »

Ranking The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy’s Routes

Posted by Sean Cabot on June 29, 2025

When tactical RPG The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy was described by its directors Kazutaka Kodaka and Kotaro Uchikoshi as having one hundred different endings, I was skeptical. It’s the kind of hyperbolic claim that dares you to doubt it. Of course, one hundred endings later, I’m here to infor… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 6/29/25

Posted by Audra Bowling on June 29, 2025

All is tranquil in this edition of RPGs Coming This Week. No fast-paced or turn-based combat on the horizon, just games that require a lot of reading — not unlike what you’re doing right now. But I promise this article will be a lot more brisk than your average visual novel, so let’s just get starte… Read More »

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX

Posted by Zek Lu on June 28, 2025

Coming off the heels of two widely successful games, Kingdom Hearts II had a high bar to meet upon its release in 2005. More than meeting expectations, it was critically lauded and, like Kingdom Hearts before it, later received a definitive Final Mix re-release, which did not see Western gaming audi… Read More »

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Posted by Matt Wardell on June 26, 2025

In the not-so-far future of 2029 (okay, it’s slightly farther from Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’s 2016 release), the world is still reeling from the “Aug Incident” that struck two years earlier, as depicted in Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011). Humans—or “naturals”—are disconcerted and distrustful of the… Read More »

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director’s Cut

Posted by Patrick Gann on June 25, 2025

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 foray… Read More »

Deus Ex: Invisible War

Posted by Pete Leavitt on June 24, 2025

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 i… Read More »

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