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Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Pre-Launch Hands-On Impressions

Posted by Abraham Kobylanski on February 6, 2024

I admit, I wasn’t sure how to feel about Final Fantasy VII Remake before it came out. Splitting the original game into multiple parts with completely new action-based combat could have been disastrous. Thankfully, my many concerns were misplaced. It was a joy to explore Midgar more thoroughly, and t… Read More »

Persona 3 Reload Hands-On Preview

Posted by Scott Clay on January 16, 2024

Hands-on with Persona 3 Reload, exploring the new Tartarus, welcome social link updates, and more!

Hands-On with 6 Games at Day of the Devs: The Game Awards Edition

Posted by Mario Garcia on December 13, 2023

Day of the Devs has come and gone, and with it, I got the chance to try several upcoming indie titles! From a cinematic car racer with Mass Effect inspirations to a psychedelic visual novel that takes a trip through an SNES-era RPG, this year had no shortage of unique and promising titles on display… 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 »

Born of Bread Hands-On Preview

Posted by Neal Chandran on October 18, 2023

Paper Mario has been inspiring a lot of games in recent years. Games like The Outbound Ghost and Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling clearly wear that inspiration on their sleeves. Although not directly influenced, WrestleQuest’s wrestling match encounters feel like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Do… Read More »

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Hands-On Impressions

Posted by Scott Clay on October 13, 2023

Thanks to the people over at Square Enix, I was given a fantastic opportunity recently to play a demo of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and conduct a fantastic interview with Director Naoki Hamaguchi. You can check out the interview here to learn about a whole bunch of new gameplay information about Rebi… Read More »

Crymachina Preview and Hands-On Impressions

Posted by Kiyan Mullen on September 21, 2023

Crymachina is a laser-tag ballet of marrow-curdling mechano-carnage. Picture Swan Lake with lightsabers. The Nutcracker on ice and steroids. An endless waltz of terrifying hardware and grim circuitry lightmapped like cold ghostly glass. This is the impression Crymachina left me with. Then again, wha… Read More »

Hymn to the Earless God Hands-On Preview

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on August 30, 2023

Five years ago, the very first game I reviewed for RPGFan was a little indie game called Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass. And let me tell you, it was a doozy. You play as an 8-year-old exploring his dreamworld, trying to take down the “Pulsating Mass” threatening him, his family, and the entire world.… Read More »

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails Preview and Hands-On Impressions

Posted by Kiyan Mullen on August 29, 2023

For Anglophone Falcom fans, patience is less a virtue and more a premise. In modern times, the distinguished developer’s bread-and-butter is Trails, an ongoing chronicle as legendarily loquacious as you’re liable to find in the RPG genre. Series diehards devour it. Every entry builds onto a single c… Read More »

Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten Preview and Hands-On Impressions

Posted by Kiyan Mullen on August 13, 2023

Aquaplus — and its mostly retired 18-and-over imprint Leaf — is one of the most fascinating development studios of all time. Their impressive repertoire boasts such storied series as To Heart, such cultish classics as Kizuato. They have contributed immeasurably to the Japanese visual novel and adven… Read More »

Blue Protocol Hands-On Impressions from Summer Game Fest [UPDATE]

Posted by Alvin Lim on July 25, 2023

Update: Bandai Namco has released a new combat trailer for Blue Protocol, showcasing the game’s starting roster of playable classes. Check it out: During Summer Game Fest’s Game Days, I got the opportunity to sit down at Amazon Games’ booth, have some charcuterie, a few drinks, and try out a little… Read More »

One Lonely Outpost Hands-On Preview: A Promising Sci-Fi Farming Sim

Posted by Mike Salbato on June 23, 2023

I don’t have any robotic cows yet, and I’m sad. Hang on: there’s a chance that line needs more context. Since first appearing on Kickstarter in August 2020, I’ve had my eye on One Lonely Outpost. I love farming games and sci-fi, so unless Marvelous wants to revisit Innocent Life one day, there’s ver… Read More »

Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles Preview and Hands-On Impressions

Posted by Kiyan Mullen on June 20, 2023

Nippon Ichi Software’s Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure may be one of the comfiest video games ever crafted in the classic JRPG mold. It wraps with patient, gentle hands a glimmering gift of cozy sights, soothing sounds, light puzzle-adventuring, breezy battles, enchanting scenarios that know just how… Read More »

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless Preview and Hands-On Impressions

Posted by Kiyan Mullen on June 20, 2023

Like a tenacious bat out of the wackiest possible hell, Nippon Ichi Software has returned to the SRPG arena to once again curb-stomp the rules and reach nearly unmatched levels of mechanical depth and complexity while doing it. In other words? Disgaea is back, dood. For those who have remained on th… Read More »

Cross Blitz Preview

Posted by Jerry Williams on June 19, 2023

Yes, folks, it’s time for Yet-Another-Card-Game, this time starring Cross Blitz. What’s peculiar about this fad that’s been going on since Slay the Spire made a splash is that while creating a card game appears easy, standing out from the competition isn’t. Here, we have a preview for Cross Blitz, a… Read More »

Eternights Hands-On Preview Impressions

Posted by Audra Bowling on June 19, 2023

Dating and the end of the world go hand-in-hand in post-apocalyptic horror action RPG Eternights. Can our nameable protagonist save the world and find love while adhering to a strict deadline? Only time will tell when Eternights gets fully released on September 21st. Those curious abo… Read More »

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals Summer Game Fest Impressions

Posted by Monica Rose on June 18, 2023

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is an interesting mix of soothing music and relaxing exploration intermixed with eerie vibes and a deep sense of dread that a cosmic horror is barreling towards you, and there is nothing you can do to save yourself or anyone else. You start as an unknown character waking up… Read More »

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Remaster) Preview

Posted by David Silbert on June 12, 2023

It’s hard to believe it’s been over a decade since 2011’s Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective hit the Nintendo DS. In a year dominated by massive sequels (Portal 2, Uncharted 3, and Skyrim, to name a few), Ghost Trick stood out as a clever little adventure title that fit the handheld like a glove. While… Read More »

Beastieball Hands-On Impressions at Summer Game Fest

Posted by Alvin Lim on June 12, 2023

I got the opportunity to sit with three Day of the Devs games and their developers at Summer Game Fest for ten minutes each this past weekend! Jeff Lobanov of Wishes Unlimited introduced me to their game Beastieball, the only one of three that was an RPG, and it turned out to be one of my favorite g… Read More »

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis Summer Game Fest Hands-On Impressions

Posted by Alvin Lim on June 11, 2023

When I first heard about Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis (which is coming to iOS and Android mobile devices), I thought it would just be a retread of Final Fantasy VII with gacha elements. Most mobile game announcements nowadays are gacha games, so it was easy to assume. I’m glad to say that I was pr… Read More »

Fae Farm Summer Game Fest Impressions

Posted by Monica Rose on June 10, 2023

I’m not ashamed to say that I love cute games. If it is colorful, bright, and not too hard, it’s right up my alley. I also get bored with simplistic games. In Fae Farm, I might have just found the cozy gaming love of my life. It is bright, colorful, mega customizable, and packed to the gills with co… Read More »

Thirsty Suitors Summer Game Fest Impressions

Posted by Monica Rose on June 10, 2023

I have never laughed so hard playing a video game as I did during my 30-minute demo of Thirsty Suitors. Picture Scott Pilgrim, but based on healthy emotional growth instead of video games. The opening scene combines a skateboarding game and a personality quiz. The quiz matters, too, as the results c… Read More »

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg Preview

Posted by Des Miller on May 10, 2023

On May 23rd, 1997, a small developer named Gust released the first game in the Atelier series: Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg. The game was based around a love of collecting and creating items, which their contemporaries weren’t focusing on at the time. While games such as Harvest Moon popu… Read More »

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie Sneak Peek

Posted by Audra Bowling on May 4, 2023

What if you could peer into the future and make decisions based on what you see? What if your decisions had a long-reaching impact on those you’re close to and the fabric of reality itself? Polly recently returns to the Mediterranean island of Atina, where she grew up, hoping to find her missing mot… Read More »

Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord Exclusive Combat Sneak Peek

Posted by Neal Chandran on April 24, 2023

A new Fairy Fencer F game is not something gamers expected from Idea Factory since it’s not one of their high-profile series. The original Fairy Fencer F released in 2013, and an expanded, enhanced version called Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force came out in 2016. Those games featured a traditional… Read More »

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