- Article
- Preview
Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy Hands-on Preview: Worlds Collide
Thanks to the wonderful team at Square Enix, I recently had some hands-on time with Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy ahead of release. Letโs cut to the chase: if youโre anything like me, youโve probably been holding out hope for a proper console Dissidia again, something closer to the original or Duodโฆ Read More »- Review
Escape From Ever After
Nintendoโs Paper Mario series (The Thousand-Year Door, in particular) has left quite an impression on the RPG world. In recent years, weโve seen many Paper Mario-inspired RPGs such as Born of Bread, The Outbound Ghost, Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling, and more. The latest Paper Mario-like to comโฆ Read More »- Article
- News
Blighted To Bring Memories, Mayhem, & More This Fall for Nintendo Switch 2 and PC
Drinkbox Studios has announced that its upcoming metroidvania, Blighted, will release sometime this fall on Nintendo Switch and PC. The announcement was made via its official Steam news section alongside the latest Nintendo Indie World showcase. A new short gameplay trailer was also shown, showcasinโฆ Read More »- Article
- News
New Petal Runner Demo Brings A Playful Slice of Pixellated City Life To Players on PC
A couple weeks ago, Iam8bit and developer Nano Park Studios have announced that a new demo for Petal Runner is available now on PC via Steam. It allows players to explore the second district of its setting, experience some of its minigames, and meet an array of NPCs and Hanapetsโthe game’s digital cโฆ Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 3/22/25: Stranger and Etranger Things
Welcome to another edition of RPGs Coming This Week! After a slow few weeks, we have a pretty full lineup for our last full week of March, across several genres: RPG, adventure, visual novel, and, honestly, however we want to classify Etrange Overlord may be up for debate. But we don’t often get toโฆ Read More »- Review
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Ride on, Rangers: Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, the third entry in the monster-collecting JRPG spin-off series, is here! Can humans and monsters unite to save the world? Bonds of kinship prevail in a fantastical tale revealing how past sins echo through time. Heartwarming and poignanโฆ Read More »- Music Review
NieR Re[in]carnation Original Soundtrack: The Sun and the Moon
In reviewing the second volume of MONACA’s NieR Re[in]carnation OSTs, I continue my grieving process through reflection. Yes, I am referring to the live service mobile title in the NieR series that had its servers permanently shut down in April 2024. I have been grieving the loss of this surprisinglโฆ Read More »- Review
Etrange Overlord
Even if I wasnโt aware of the background behind Etrange Overlord, Iโd still be drawn to its energetic visual style and quirky premise. Knowing that it is the first project from Sลhei Niikawa (legendary creator of the Disgaea series) since he went independent adds an undeniable appeal to the project.โฆ Read More »- Review
Pokรฉmon Pokopia
,Pokรฉmon spin-off games are as broad-ranging and varied as the colorful creatures that populate their digital worlds. From puzzle games to pinball, from roguelike dungeon crawlers to photography simulations, itโs practically a law of nature that if you can picture a game concept, you can probably puโฆ Read More »- Review
Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights
First impressions can prove quite misleading, a sentiment explored many times over in the otome visual novel Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights. What initially appears to be a more light-hearted romantasy tale contains surprising depth as you delve into its routes, culminating in aโฆ Read More »- Review
Scott Pilgrim EX
The year is 20XX. The great city of Toronto is beset with three warring gangs: the Demons, the Robots, and, perhaps most fearsome of all, the Vegans. If thatโs not bad enough, local legend Scott Pilgrim witnesses his best friends-slash-Sex Bob-omb bandmates kidnapped by the mysterious Metal Scott meโฆ Read More »Article
Random Encounter 342 – Pokรฉmon vs. The World
On this episode of Random Encounter, itโs the end of the world as we know it, and Ditto feels fine! First up, Ben is here to chat about the latest Pokรฉmon spin-off, Pokรฉmon Pokopia. Man is dead, and the Pokรฉmon rule. We donโt think that anyone expected that weโd get a post-apocalyptic Pokรฉmon game,โฆ Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 3/15/26: Just the One, Actually
While I’ve only recently taken over running and writing intros for our weekly RPGs Coming This Week column, it’s been fun getting to introduce each week’s lineup. Both because there’s usually something coming out that looks promising, and I enjoy alluding to each release but saving the details for bโฆ Read More »- Article
- Preview
Slay the Spire II Hands-On: And Slay Some Monsters, While You’re At It
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 seeinโฆ Read More »- Article
- News
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar Brings the Cream of the Crop to PS5, Xbox Series on May 28th
Marvelous has announced that farming sim RPG Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar will release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on May 28th. It is currently available on Nintendo Switch 1 & 2 and PC via Steam, originally launching late last year. A trailer accompanied the announcement, showcasingโฆ Read More »Music Review
NieR Re[in]carnation Original Soundtrack
Though its time has come and gone, NieR Re[in]carnation’s soundtrack remains with us always. Yes, I am referring to the live service mobile title in the NieR series that had its servers permanently shut down in April 2024. I have been grieving the loss of this surprisingly robust, story-heavy title.โฆ Read More »- Article
- Retro Encounter
- Podcast
Retro Encounter 481 – Best Final Bosses
The only thing we can believe in, with absolute certainty, is Retro Encounter, Jack. This week on Retro Encounter, we chat about bosses. But not just any bosses–no, we talk about final bosses. They’re supposed to be a final challenge, but are they always? Do we even want a challenge at the end? Howโฆ Read More »- Review
Code Vein II
Truth be told, I donโt have a lot of familiarity with Souls-likes. I can list the number of games in the punishing-yet-ultimately-rewarding genre Iโve played on one hand, but I hold great respect for them and those gamers who strive to master them, even while wholeheartedly admitting they aren’t inโฆ Read More »- Review
Life is Strange Remastered
Adolescence is a messy, awkward journey filled with emotional peaks and valleys. If you could turn back time, would you take back that awful, if honest, thing you said to your mom? Would you reconnect with that old friend you grew apart from? Would you save that unpopular girl from getting hit by aโฆ Read More »- Article
- News
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Soars With New Trailers Ahead of Release
Capcom have released two new trailers for Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, ahead of its release this coming week. The first trailer celebrates the game’s upcoming launch, framing its core cast of characters, an omen set by twin Rathalos, and an ecological disaster looming. The second trโฆ Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 3/8/26
Welcome back once again! There is an intriguing lineup of RPGs coming this week, with some differing gameplay and presentation. Hopefully, it’s a “something for everyone” type of situation, and we’re fortunate to also have staff members with hands-on experience covering our titles this week. From eeโฆ Read More »Music Review
Infinity Original Soundtrack
A soundtrack 27 years in the making: folks, I give you Infinity! Okay, that’s not quite the whole story. In truth, this soundtrack was nearly complete by 2001. In 2002, after the game was canceled, the team self-published a digital collection. Then, in 2016, Materia Collective worked with the team tโฆ Read More »- Article
- News
Disgaea Mayhem To Bring Just Desserts on Consoles & PC Summer 2026
NIS America has revealed Disgaea Mayhem, an action RPG spinoff of the popular turn-based strategy RPG series. It is expected to launch globally sometime this summer for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, and PC via Steam. A trailer accompanied the announcement, showcasing bombastic action, coโฆ Read More »Music Review
NieR Re[in]carnation Chill Out Arrangement Tracks
An arranged album exclusively dedicated to the NieR series mobile game, NieR Re[in]carnation? Well, bust my buttons! I would not have expected this. Among Square Enix Music’s many arrangement series, the “Chill Out” series has had a fairly limited outing. First, they brought the Around 80’s Mix, feaโฆ Read More »- Feature
Retro Encounter Final Thoughts – Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
While Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones holds a special place in my heart as the first of the “older” FE games I’ve tried, I was also charmed by my play-through of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. Both the supports you can uncover and the characters you recruit are great, and I liked the plot twist regaโฆ Read More »- Article
- Preview
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection Hands-on Preview: Back on the Grid
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 Iโm coming in with plenty of questions about how well this Nintendo DS era of Mega Man RPGs holds up.โฆ Read More »- Review
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Any series builds up expectations by virtue of its existence. The Warriors titles, with their plethora of classic games and cross-franchise spin-offs, have numerous precedents: expansive playable casts that span worlds, decades, and even universes; superficial stories to justify said casts; and straโฆ Read More »- Article
- News
Pokรฉmon Winds and Pokรฉmon Waves Surging To Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027
Game Freak and Nintendo have unveiled Pokรฉmon Winds & Pokรฉmon Waves, the next entries โ generation 10 โ in the mainline game series. It is set to release exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 sometime during 2027. The announcement came via the latest Pokรฉmon Presents presentation, where a colourful fโฆ Read More »- Review
Esoteric Ebb
If imitation is a form of flattery, Esoteric Ebb is to Disco Elysium what Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels was to Pulp Fiction. Simply put, Guy Ritchieโs directorial debut wouldn’t exist in its final form had Tarantino not carved such a strong stylistic claim on the film industry at the time, yeโฆ Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 3/1/26: Scotts, Spires, and Scythers Unite!
Now here’s a fun week of variety! We may be a site that primarily covers RPGs, but as more genres overlap with RPGs, we get to have a great range of experiences like our three titles this week. We have the bright colors and so-crisp-you-can-slice-your-veggies-on-’em pixel graphics of Scott Pilgrim Eโฆ Read More »Music Review
Remastered Soundtrack: Final Fantasy VI, Disc 3
We’ve reached our final stop: the end of Sean Schafianski’s full Final Fantasy VI remastered project! In my review of Disc 1, we looked into Schafianski’s scope and process in these upgraded arrangements. Reaching Disc 2, we identified key points in the FFVI OST that Schafianski handled in perhaps dโฆ Read More »Feature
Crowdfunding Chronicles: Bel’s Fanfare
It’s time to embark on a magical sea voyage! Spanish developer Chibig, makers of the charming tropical adventure Summer in Mara bring you Bel’s Fanfare, a spooky yet adorable game inspired by Majora’s Mask and Spirited Away.Music Review
Infinity Arranged Soundtrack
When Incube8 Games finally published the long-awaited Infinity for Game Boy Color in 2026, they pulled out all the stops. You want a physical copy of a game for a handheld device that has been dead for decades? You got it! Original soundtrack? Heck yes! ARRANGED SOUNDTRACK? Well, why not? Having wriโฆ Read More »- Review
Tales of Berseria Remastered
In Tales of Berseria, the story and the characters do almost all the lifting. It’s a good thing it’s so amazing, because there sure is a lot of weight on its shoulders, especially with this completely superfluous “Remaster.” It has to overcome some of the most bland dungeons I’ve ever explored. Theyโฆ Read More »- Article
- Retro Encounter
- Podcast
Retro Encounter 480 – Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade Part II
…wrong. I am a podcast. This week on Retro Encounter we dive into the second half of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. How much of the story do we actually get to experience? How much do we enjoy the late game maps? What are our favorite support conversations? Listen in to find out! Featuring: Zachโฆ Read More »- Review
Ys X: Proud Nordics
Setting sail into new waters is the conceit behind the tenth Ys game and something it does with gusto, according to our own Sean Cabot’s excellent review. Now, however, a “definitive” edition has reached our shores in the form of Ys X: Proud Nordics. While a worthy purchase for those curious and thoโฆ Read More »- Review
Infinity
The last thing I anticipated playing in the year 2026 was a brand-spanking-new Game Boy Color title. But that’s Infinity for ya! The history behind this once-scrapped, now-revived GBC RPG is quite the saga, stretching all the way back to 1999 and making Infinity about as old as RPGFan itself. Finallโฆ Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 2/22/26 – Remakes, Remasters, and… Rattatas?
It’s Tales of Berseria week, all! No, really, that’s the one major game we have this week. Maybe most publishers don’t want to compete with the return of Leon Kennedy. And, honestly, who can blame them? That rough and tumble attitude, that hard-edged look in his eyes, and… right. RPGs. So there’sโฆ Read More »Music Review
Remastered Soundtrack: Final Fantasy VI, Disc 2
The middle child in Sean Schafianski’s Remastered Soundtrack: Final Fantasy VI series, Disc 2 continues from where Disc 1 left off. Be sure to check out the linked review of Disc 1 for discussion about Sean’s general process for these Remasters. In this review, we’ll dive deeper into the musical conโฆ Read More »Music Review
