(s) Archive

Our list of essential visual novels continues here! We take a look at more mind-bending plots, fantastic characters, and beautiful visuals. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Written by Peter Triezenberg The game that spawned a thousand internet memes, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is one of my go-to recommendations whenever someone expresses interest in visual novels or… Read More »

Before any digital ink is spilled, allow me to clarify. This essay marks RPGFan’s first coverage of a Third Editions published book. I would prefer it not to be our last. Whatever quibbles I might have over particular volumes, I believe RPGFan and Third Editions to be of a like mind. We love games, RPGs… Read More »

Until late September of this year, UNSIGHTED wasn’t on our radar. Luckily, when we were offered an opportunity to check it out, Bob Richardson picked it up and loved it. Studio Pixel Punk put together a Metroidvania with beautiful pixel art, a solid story, and a remarkable level of freedom to explore the world. So,… Read More »

Glamour is the true endgame’ is a phrase you have likely heard if you’ve been part of the Final Fantasy XIV community for any period of time. In principle, it refers to the idea that many players get really into the style and fashion of their avatar once they’re up to date with the story content, sitting at maximum level and waiting. In practice, I think it points more abstractly towards the value Final Fantasy XIV players see in the glamour system — as a tool for making their characters who they want them to be and strengthening the link between character and player.

Michael Sollosi Cosmic Star Heroine is game of admirable ambition, clearly inspired by many of the most acclaimed 16-bit Japanese RPGs, striving to hit those highs in a brisk runtime with gameplay concepts from a time beyond that golden age of JRPGs. The game looks like a brilliant lost Super Nintendo RPG and feels like… Read More »

I don’t know about you fine folks, but the RPGs I grew up with were chock full of dungeons to explore — whether they were caves filled to the brim with bats and other nasty critters or traditional elemental dungeons (think lava caves, water temples, and dark forests) filled with traps and puzzles. Dungeon navigation… Read More »

Music is fabulous, and I would say at least 98% of us would be incredibly unhappy if it were to be outlawed. This is the unfortunate reality we face in today’s game of choice, Keylocker; the next pixelated quest from the creator of Virgo Versus the Zodiac and skeleton RPG Osteoblasts.

Monster Hunter is a series of multiplayer action RPGs starring player-created hunters challenging hosts of dinosaurs, dragons, and all manner of other monsters in protracted boss fights. “MonHun” has become one of Capcom’s biggest series, with sixteen main-series games and expansions over the past seventeen years, the latest of which, Monster Hunter Rise, sold over… Read More »

Alana Hagues There was no way I wasn’t going to play Eternal Punishment just over a year after beating Innocent Sin. The cliffhanger ending, the exhilarating stakes, and wild events left me desperate to see what would happen to Tatsuya Suou and Maya Amano in this alternate world. And while I leave Eternal Punishment a bit shy of my glowing… Read More »

Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu (Genealogy of the Holy War) is one of the easiest Fire Emblem games to recommend, which makes it baffling that this pivotal turn-based tactics RPG never officially made it to the West. While it is brutally difficult and features all the obsessive grid-counting paranoia ubiquitous to the series, it’s also… Read More »

The Tales series is the unsung hero of the JRPG genre. Less successful than Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest but with no less fervent a fandom, the Tales series represents the top of the B-tier and sets the bar for truly successful JRPGs. It represents technical excellence, fine polish, and resonant characters that, on the… Read More »

Other Entry Points to the Tales Series As we noted, there are plenty of other entry points to the Tales Series. Read on to learn a bit more about everything else the series has to offer from multiple members of our staff. Tales of Phantasia Where to Play: GBA (Review) | iOS (Defunct) (Review) |… Read More »

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC is an experience that excels in many important aspects of RPG design, from its elegant characterisation to its uniquely satisfying battle system. Although it’s a series that has been dissected from many different angles, the game’s most significant quality — its commitment to creating a clear… Read More »

From the developers of Shadows of Adam comes Quartet, a turn-based RPG featuring four interconnected storylines that converge in a grand finale involving the fate of the world. Fans of SNES and SquareSoft classics, read on!

Dynamic duo ROZEN + REVEN initially entered the world of NieR: Automata on NieR: Glory to Mankind, a cover album that viewed the instant-classic soundtrack through the lens of a distinct orchestra-pop sound. Four years and multiple collaborative projects later, they’ve returned to the critically acclaimed game on NieR: Become As Gods.  Much like the… Read More »

Fire Emblem is a turn-based tactical RPG where the player controls an army of units and pits them against an enemy army of units. You can think about these units in much the same way you might think about a game of chess; each unit type has various strengths and weaknesses, and as the army commander, it’s your job to make the most out of your army and work toward the end goal.

The Pokémon franchise of today is at a crossroads. On one hand, the series has long been mired in tradition, afraid to make drastic changes to the formula, while on the other, there has been a desire to push the series in a new direction. The upcoming titles in the franchise, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and… Read More »

Michael Sollosi Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne‘s reputation precedes it. This is the PS2 RPG for “hardcore gamers,” while Personas 3 and 4 are for players who cared more for living through an anime series set in a Japanese high school with some demon summoning on the side. I am more the Persona type. I… Read More »

And here we are with the final section of our Favorite Siblings in RPGs! Estelle & Renne Bright – Trails Series Writeup by Caitlin Argyros Renne had a horrifying childhood. Believing that her parents abandoned her to the whims of a dangerous cult, she found herself a prisoner at a brothel, where she endured both… Read More »

Here at RPGFan, we often refer to ourselves as “RPGFam,” so needless to say, we love good family dynamics in our video games. A couple of years ago, we even explored the Best RPG Moms and the Best RPG Dads, so we thought it was time to explore family dynamics that are often every bit… Read More »

Our Favorite Siblings in RPGs feature continues with looks at some of our favorite series—including both Trails AND Tales of—and a couple of particularly moving, personal pieces. Elliot & Fiona Craig – The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel Series Writeup by Audra Bowling There are wonderful sibling dynamics throughout The Legend of Heroes:… Read More »

It’s a bit frustrating when you’re searching for a good magic school to enroll in and discover that the popular choice (“Frogsnorts” or something along those lines) is somewhat dubious. Thankfully, our modern world offers plenty of other options, including the establishment featured in this little gem of a point-and-click game.

Hilary Andreff I had some concerns going into ‘Ladies Otome Month,’ namely “What if this really doesn’t click with me?” and “What if I can’t find anything interesting to say? I’m not thirsty enough for this.” Luckily, those concerns were unfounded, and I even found some comfortable familiarity among the Shinsengumi with my slight martial… Read More »

Sometimes going to school is the opposite of what you’d rather be doing with your day. Still, whether you love it or hate it, sitting in class is approximately 486 times better than being stuck in Juvenile Detention, which is where our featured game’s two protagonists spent the last year.

The SaGa series has seen a bit of a resurgence over the last number of years. Not only did they finally release the surprisingly popular SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions, SaGa Frontier Remastered, the Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend, and even a mobile title in Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe. So, when we got the opportunity to… Read More »