Preview Archives

Brigandine Abyss Event Battle Phases Hands-Off Preview

Posted by Audra Bowling on July 8, 2026

I must admit to only being familiar with the Brigandine series in passing, though my inner SRPG fan’s curiosity has been piqued by what I’ve heard. It’s a curiosity that’s led me to pay close attention to the upcoming release, Brigandine Abyss. I was recently fortunate enough to preview one of the g… Read More »

Fallout 76 at Summer Game Fest 2026 – Interview with Creative Director Jon Rush and Production Director Bill LaCoste

Posted by Mario Garcia on June 28, 2026

In the wake of Fallout 76’s recent Infestations update, with its challenging enemies and boss fight content across Appalachia, I got the chance to speak with Creative Director Jon Rush and Production Director Bill LaCoste about their hopes for the update, the process of balancing reward systems this… Read More »

Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok at Summer Game Fest 2026: Building on an Engaging Action RPG

Posted by Mario Garcia on June 20, 2026

Action RPG Granblue Fantasy: Relink is about to get even bigger with its Endless Ragnarok expansion! Thanks to the team at Cygames, I was able to hear from Creative Director Tetsuya Fukuhara and Director Sanshiro Hidaka about the new features of the expansion, their vision for the title, and more. I… Read More »

Summer Game Fest 2026 Round-Up: A Strong Showing for RPGs with Aniimo, Grave Seasons, and Crimson Moon

Posted by Mario Garcia on June 18, 2026

This year’s Summer Game Fest had plenty of titles in our coverage here at RPGFan, and you may have read some of our hands-on impressions — If you haven’t yet, make sure to check out Sea of Remnants, Stranger Than Heaven, and Petal Runner. There was a trio of games I played a bit less than some of th… Read More »

Petal Runner Impressions at Summer Game Fest 2026 – A Charming Cyberpunk Adventure with Heart

Posted by Mario Garcia on June 16, 2026

Last year, I had the chance to play an early demo of slice-of-life RPG Petal Runner at Summer Game Fest 2025, and it was a highlight of the show for me! From iam8bit and developer Nano Park Studios, this gorgeously pixelated adventure follows Cali and their foxy sidekick Kira as they explore the fou… Read More »

Stranger Than Heaven Impressions at Summer Game Fest 2026 – Fast-Paced Combat Soars with Potential in Historic Japan

Posted by Mario Garcia on June 13, 2026

Thanks to the teams at SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, I got the chance to play Stranger Than Heaven at Summer Game Fest! This upcoming action RPG follows protagonist Makoto Daito through five different Japanese cities in five different eras, promising an epic journey through the criminal underworld … Read More »

Sea of Remnants Impressions at Summer Game Fest 2026 – A Puppet-Punk, Seafaring Adventure with Promise

Posted by Mario Garcia on June 12, 2026

From publisher NetEase Games and developer Joker Studio, upcoming seafaring RPG Sea of Remnants looks to offer a distinct maritime adventure combining turn-based, explorative, survival, simulation, choice-based narrative, and more… Read More »

Echoes of Aincrad Hands-on Preview: Beneath a Floating Castle

Posted by Zek Lu on June 10, 2026

Thanks to the wonderful team at Bandai Namco, I recently had the opportunity to go hands-on with Echoes of Aincrad, the upcoming action RPG set within the world of Sword Art Online. I wasn’t exactly the target audience going into the preview, and I was admittedly a bit skeptical. I watched the first… Read More »

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Hands-On Preview! Zelda? Secret of Mana? Or Something More?

Posted by Scott Clay on May 18, 2026

HD-2D style games since the original Octopath Traveler have changed how we view retro-style titles from bigger publishers such as Square Enix. HD-2D not only looks great, but also scratches the old school sprite JRPG itch many of us have had since the end of the SNES and PS1 era. And since its debut… Read More »

Alabaster Dawn Hands-On: Modern Retro Done Right

Posted by Jerry Williams on May 4, 2026

Retro done right is somehow surprisingly difficult. For decades, developers have attempted to capture the magic of yesteryear through visuals, music, and game design. Pixels may have charm, but recycled game design rarely lands, as—and I know some will hate reading this—old game design has been left… Read More »

Neverway Prologue Demo – From Farm to Nightmare

Posted by Ben Love on April 9, 2026

Farming RPGs have never been more en vogue, with an entire new wave of indie farming life-sims cresting off the success of Stardew Valley and the revitalization of the Story of Seasons series. While many of these titles iterate on that standard farming RPG formula first established by Harvest Moon a… Read More »

PAX East 2026 – Terra Nova: Legend of the Runes is a Retro JRPG to Watch

Posted by Mike Salbato on April 8, 2026

Okay, maybe I shouldn’t tell you what you want out of an RPG. I don’t know you, person reading this. But if you’re here on RPGFan, I have at least an idea, and I’m telling you that Terra Nova: Legend of the Runes is one to keep both eyes on. I was able to try it out at PAX and talked to developer An… Read More »

PAX East 2026 – Spirit Rancher’s Spirit-Fueled Farming is a Refreshing Change of Pace

Posted by Mike Salbato on April 6, 2026

Farming sims are only getting more popular as time goes on, across the indie space and with larger developers. After spending some time with Yangyang Mobile’s Spirit Rancher at PAX East, I think the devs are onto something good. Like any other expanding genre, it’s important for newcomers to offer s… Read More »

PAX East 2026 – Brigandine Abyss Hands-On: Hexagonal Strategy

Posted by Mike Salbato on April 6, 2026

Don’t play strategy RPGs at a convention. That’s not a slight against Brigandine Abyss or NISA’s booth — I’m glad and surprised the semi-recently announced title was on hand and in English. But in a show floor filled with people either passing by or waiting to play, probablyjudgingmyeverymoveovermys… Read More »

PAX East 2026 – High Times: Crafting Donuts & Moods

Posted by Mike Salbato on April 4, 2026

I have a soft spot for the fascinating intersection of food/drink service and visual novel (thanks, Since Coffee Talk and VA-11 HALL-A). After spending half an hour with High Times at PAX East, I continue to enjoy this particular setting/gameplay blend. A donut shop sim mixed with a dating sim may h… Read More »

Solasta II Early Access Review

Posted by Mark Roddison on April 3, 2026

After roughly fifteen hours with its Early Access build, it’s safe to say Solasta II is shaping up to be a better version of its predecessor. The developers have clearly invested time in refining the graphical fidelity with a shift to Unreal Engine 5, expanding the range of roleplaying systems, and… Read More »

PAX East 2026 – Disgaea Mayhem Hands-On: Frenetic Fan Service

Posted by Mike Salbato on April 2, 2026

One of my highlights at PAX East 2026 was stopping by the NIS America booth and getting some hands-on time with Disgaea Mayhem and Brigandine Abyss. More on the latter in another article, but if you’re curious how Disgaea’s first foray into action RPG territory fares, you’re in the right place! Disg… Read More »

GreedFall: The Dying World Impressions

Posted by Mark Roddison on March 28, 2026

After a lengthy stretch in Early Access, GreedFall: The Dying World has now reached its full release. During development, the project went through several iterations and even adopted a new title to more clearly position itself as a prequel to GreedFall. Expectations were understandably high: the fir… Read More »

Tokyo Indie Games Summit 2026 Overview & More Hands-On Impressions

Posted by Matt Wardell on March 25, 2026

The scale and stakes of video game development have seemed to become unsustainably large in recent years, with many RPGs, say, requiring hundreds of millions of dollars and years of manpower from huge teams. While I’m certainly not one to say no to a feast, I find it’s the small appetizers that I wa… Read More »

Tokyo Indie Games Summit 2026 – Summer Road Hands-On Preview

Posted by Matt Wardell on March 25, 2026

One of my biggest regrets from Tokyo Game Show 2025 was that I didn’t get my hands on Summer Road, often touted by Japanese developer Rebuild Games as a roguelite RPG enjoyed in 10-minute chunks. At Tokyo Indie Games Summit 2026, I finally returned to the nostalgic suburban streets, and frankly, I c… Read More »

Tokyo Indie Games Summit 2026 – Disc Creatures WORLD Hands-On Preview

Posted by Matt Wardell on March 24, 2026

Like many of you, Pokémon holds a special place in my heart. Though if I’m being honest, my RPG tastes have… evolved since the days of Game Boys and car rides. Disc Creatures WORLD, developed by the two brothers making up Picorinne Soft, shares that same reverence for Nintendo’s iconic monster-catch… Read More »

Tokyo Indie Games Summit 2026 – Bandit Knight Hands-On Preview

Posted by Matt Wardell on March 24, 2026

To look at Bandit Knight, it’d be easy to mistake it for one of Square Enix’s recent HD-2D games, such as Octopath Traveler or the upcoming The Adventures of Elliot. The Square Enix inspiration doesn’t stop there; the character sprites in Bandit Knight gesture and spin around to convey joy or frustr… Read More »

Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy Hands-on Preview: Worlds Collide

Posted by Zek Lu on March 23, 2026

Thanks to the wonderful team at Square Enix, I recently had some hands-on time with Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy ahead of release. Let’s cut to the chase: if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been holding out hope for a proper console Dissidia again, something closer to the original or Duod… Read More »

Slay the Spire II Hands-On: And Slay Some Monsters, While You’re At It

Posted by Jerry Williams on March 14, 2026

Slay the Spire may not have been the first PC deckbuilder, but it almost certainly set the stage for a new genre that has absolutely flooded online marketplaces. Often imitated, rarely surpassed in terms of quality, Slay the Spire has enjoyed a large fanbase dedicated to modifying the game and seein… Read More »

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection Hands-on Preview: Back on the Grid

Posted by Zek Lu on March 4, 2026

Thanks to the wonderful team at Capcom, I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the upcoming Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection. This is actually my first time playing through these games, and I’m coming in with plenty of questions about how well this Nintendo DS era of Mega Man RPGs holds up.… Read More »

Preview(s) Archive