Highlight Archives | Page 4 of 42

Hades II

Posted by Zek Lu on September 24, 2025

Making a sequel to a hit game is never easy, and following something as beloved as Hades is even tougher. The inevitable question is: can it live up to the original? Right from the start, Hades II has to show it belongs alongside one of the most influential roguelikes ever created. As someone who ne… Read More »

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles

Posted by Jerry Williams on September 24, 2025

Having a “favorite game of all time” can feel like a trite, tedious topic of conversation, especially amongst groups who spend a lot of time together. Most of my gamer friends know that I put Final Fantasy Tactics on a bit of a pedestal, though I know I’m not alone in this. I’ve done full playthroug… Read More »

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Launches Next February

Posted by Gio Castillo on September 24, 2025

SEGA’s Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has revealed Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, a ground-up remake of Yakuza 3 coming on February 12th, 2026, to PlayStation 5 and 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam. Dark Ties is a separate game packaged with Yakuza Kiwami 3. It goes into how Yoshitaka… Read More »

Varlet

Posted by Audra Bowling on September 23, 2025

I went into Varlet with high hopes, desperate to like it because the most recent FuRyu RPG I played, The Caligula Effect 2, was a pleasant surprise. It also didn’t hurt that Varlet’s graphics and UI visually reminded me of indie action RPG Eternights, a title I also enjoyed for its Persona-esque sty… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 167 – Naoshi Mizuta Spotlight

Posted by Mike Salbato on September 22, 2025

Today we highlight a composer and games that don’t often appear on the show. Naoshi Mizuta’s music credits span 30 years, and much of that time has been with Square Enix leading the charge on Final Fantasy XI’s soundtrack. That Final Fantasy XI, which launched in 2002 on PC and the PlayStation 2 (TW… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 9/21/25

Posted by Audra Bowling on September 21, 2025

In this edition of RPGs Coming This Week, we tackle the biggest indie release of the year not named Hollow Knight: Silksong, as well as a host of other smaller titles. Don’t worry; the blockbusters are coming. We ain’t seen nothing yet! Aethermancer (Entering Early Access) – September 23rd (Windows,… Read More »

RPGFan Chapters Review: 50 Indie Games that Changed the World by Bitmap Books

Posted by Mike Salbato on September 20, 2025

I can’t imagine the difficulty in picking 50 essential or notable indie games over the last five years, to say nothing of doing so without a designated timeframe, but that’s exactly what writer Aaron Potter did with Bitmap Books’ latest release, 50 Indie Games that Changed the World. Before I begin,… Read More »

Alabaster Dawn Hands-On: A Gorgeous Pixel Art RPG in the Making!

Posted by Caitlin Argyros on September 18, 2025

2018’s CrossCode was a delightful surprise to many, with its SNES-style pixel graphics, fast-paced action combat, and .hack-like pseudo MMO setting. Now Radical Fish Games is back with Alabaster Dawn, a spiritual successor to CrossCode that looks like a fantastic sophomore entry for the German devel… Read More »

Retro Encounter Final Thoughts – Drakengard

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on September 18, 2025

Aleks Franiczek I knew going into Drakengard that I was in for a ride. A pretty much singular ride fueled by an indulgently morbid tone, ambitious genre-crossing design, clever subversions of RPG tropes, an OST from hell, and heaps of jank. What I didn’t expect was that I’d find this ride as enjoyab… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 166 – Echoes of Eorzea: Final Fantasy XIV

Posted by Mike Salbato on September 17, 2025

It sure is weird to think that our last dedicated Final Fantasy XIV episode was almost four years ago, with Episode 69: What Moogle Wakes Me? Today, with a 75% different set of panelists, we return to “RPGFan’s Favorite MMORPG” with selections from several of FFXIV’s expansions, including fan favori… Read More »

Hyke: Northern Light(s)

Posted by Paul Skevington on September 16, 2025

Hyke: Northern Light(s) sits at an increasingly common crossroads for smaller-scale JRPGs, with one foot turned towards adventure and the other towards cosiness. Sometimes it just isn’t enough to send your party out on a quest to save the world: you’ve also got to find a little time to relax. Life-s… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 9/14/25

Posted by Audra Bowling on September 14, 2025

The floodgates have opened. This summer was pretty low-key in terms of new releases, but autumn rectifies that with an absolutely packed slate. It’s gonna be like that for the next six months or so, really, knowing what we know now after that behemoth of a Nintendo Direct. So, as always, here’s your… Read More »

Sultan’s Game

Posted by Jerry Williams on September 12, 2025

Sultan’s Game defies comparison. In 2025, that’s like striking gold. What’s more, the innovation pairs beautifully with a wealth of quality content that’ll give the literarily inclined much to chew on. Mind, this tabletop-meets-roguelike game isn’t a tome of writing, but every event and action tends… Read More »

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave to Launch in 2026

Posted by Gio Castillo on September 12, 2025

Nintendo has announced Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, due out in 2026 for the Switch 2. This new entry in the long-running strategy RPG series debuted at the end of the latest Nintendo Direct. Check out the trailer below to get a feel for the story and main characters, as well as a glimpse of Fire Em… Read More »

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Sets Sail February 5th, 2026

Posted by Tin Manuel on September 12, 2025

Nope, it’s not your imagination. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is real! In the recent Nintendo Direct, we caught our first glimpse of this upcoming remake of Dragon Quest VII: Warriors of Eden, originally released on PS1 and later remade as Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past on 3DS. Dra… Read More »

Retro Encounter 468 – Drakengard Part II

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on September 11, 2025

If you wish to live, choose only Retro Encounter! On this week’s episode of Retro Encounter, we finally finish Drakengard. We cry, we wail. Oh wait, that’s the characters. Just how messed up are the additional endings? Can anyone ever truly be happy? Do rhythm games belong in an RPG? Listen in to fi… Read More »

Upwards, Rain! The Post Office of Farewells

Posted by Audra Bowling on September 10, 2025

Sometimes, final messages to a loved one aren’t just about closure. They’re about providing someone with the means to carry on living. Visual novel Upwards, Rain! The Post Office of Farewells beautifully conveys that sentiment throughout the puzzle adventure’s sensitive narrative by creating a heart… Read More »

Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy

Posted by Patrick Gann on September 9, 2025

If you’ve seen anything about the new Idea Factory title, Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy, and you’re wondering whether that name sounds familiar, then you are my kind of gamer. Because, frankly, that was my immediate thought as well. It required a brief history lesson, and I have to s… Read More »

Random Encounter 330 – Random Book Club – 50 Indie Games that Changed the World

Posted by Jonathan Logan on September 8, 2025

On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re doing a Random Book Club for the brand-new tome from Bitmap Books: 50 Indie Games that Changed the World. Over the last 20 years, the indie game scene has become just as important as the AAA industry, with games like Hollow Knight: Silksong showing sales nu… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 9/7/25

Posted by Gio Castillo on September 7, 2025

This edition of the column should really be RPG Coming This Week, as it’s one of those rare times where we only have one item on our agenda. Whether this one game is even an RPG is… debatable, but we as a site land on it being more role-playing than not. I personally dislike arguing about these th… Read More »

RPGFan Music of the Year 2024

Posted by Mike Salbato on September 5, 2025

Well, it’s that time of the year again! Time to celebrate the best of RPG and adventure game music throughout all of… what do you mean it’s September 2025 now? What do you mean that we got most of this written at the beginning of the year but it took until now for the last pieces to come together… Read More »

RPGFan Chapters Review: Boss Fight Books ‘EverQuest’ by Matthew S. Smith

Posted by Paul Skevington on September 4, 2025

I shouldn’t know anything about EverQuest. I’ve not been a PC gamer for decades, as I’ve lost the desire to be at the cutting edge of technology when it comes to indulging my gaming passion. I’ve never played World of Warcraft or, despite the evangelism of my RPGFan colleagues, booted up that time-c… Read More »

Bustafellows Season 2

Posted by Audra Bowling on September 3, 2025

It’s time for a return trip to New Sieg to hang out with aspiring journalist Teuta Bridges and her colorful found family in new high-stakes situations with otome visual novel Bustafellows Season 2! But does the second season reach the storied heights of the first? Stay tuned for the next episode! Bu… Read More »

We Played Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles – Hands-On Preview

Posted by Scott Clay on September 2, 2025

I can’t stress enough how much I enjoy Final Fantasy Tactics, and I can’t begin to count how many times I have actually played the game. It’s one of those games that sticks with you and is enjoyable multiple times in many different ways. I still consider it the best Final Fantasy game, and I am very… Read More »

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Director Kazutoyo Maehiro Interview

Posted by Scott Clay on September 2, 2025

Thanks to the lovely people at Square Enix, I had the opportunity to play a small portion of the upcoming Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles and, more importantly, sit down and do an interview with the game’s director, Kazutoyo Maehiro. As a huge fan of the series, I want to thank Ma… Read More »

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