- Article
- Random Encounter
- Podcast
Random Encounter 329 – Come to the RPGFan Bazaar!
On this week’s Random Encounter, let’s head to the bazaar and see what the RPGFan stall has in stock! First up, Niki is here to chat about Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar. Harvest Moon DS: Grand Bazaar was a beloved entry in this long-running series on the Nintendo DS. Does this remake (with some upd… Read More »- Review
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar
Zephyr Town’s bazaar was once a grand gathering of merchants that enticed tourists from far and wide, and it can return to that magnificent state with some hard work. Your day-to-day life in Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, a remake of the Nintendo DS title Harvest Moon DS: Grand Bazaar, runs a rhyth… Read More »- Review
Quartet
Quartet is the latest RPG from Something Classic Games, the studio behind Shadows of Adam. A former colleague penned a lovely editorial about how Shadows of Adam is more than its classic-inspired veneer would suggest. Quartet is an even more ambitious title that shoots for the moon and makes it. Qua… Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 8/24/25
In this jam-packed edition of RPGs Coming This Week, the latest entries in long-running series mix with straight-up new titles. From boundary-pushing action combat to tried-and-true turn-based battles, we run the gamut of everything role-playing as we close out August and head into the ‘Ber months.… Read More »- Feature
Final Fantasy Piano Collections, Ranked
If you polled casual and die-hard RPG fans alike for which series’ music they’re most familiar with, I would assume Final Fantasy comes up a lot. Nobuo Uematsu’s name is known and celebrated, and rightfully so! If someone charged me with the task of ranking all of the Final Fantasy original soundtra… Read More »- Article
- News
Starbites Announced for Western Release in 2026
Developer Ikina Games has partnered with publisher NIS America to launch Starbites in the west in early 2026 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Switch, and PC via Steam. In Japan, this sci-fi RPG is due to come out on October 16th. The western release will have a limited edition, with preorders n… Read More »- Article
- News
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Demo Available Now
GungHo and Nihon Falcom have released a demo for Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. It is currently available for PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam, with Nintendo Switch expected at a later date. It was also confirmed that Trails in the Sky Chapter 1st Chapter will have a native Nintendo Switch 2 version,… Read More »- Music Review
Final Fantasy XI Gifts from Vana’diel: Prime Memories Soundtrack
The latest release in the Gifts from Vana’diel music series, Final Fantasy XI Gifts from Vana’diel: Prime Memories Soundtrack, offers past and present players a glimpse into how the long-running MMORPG’s music has evolved more than twenty years after its beginnings. Final Fantasy XI veteran composer… Read More »Feature
So you want to get into The Trails Series…
August 21st, 2025 Update: Hey everyone, future Scott here with some updates to our Trails series primer. I originally wrote this article nearly six years ago to help all those looking to get into Trails and drum up some hype for the series. At the time, the only games we had access to in the W… Read More »- Episodic Review
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Patch 7.3 – The Promise of Tomorrow
I’ve mentioned in past Final Fantasy XIV reviews that the third major patch after an expansion is usually where the storyline of that expansion wraps up. Endwalker was an exception, as it concluded the entire MMO’s story arc in the main 6.0 patch, but Dawntrail returns to the standard format. These… Read More »- Article
- News
Shenmue III Enhanced Coming to Consoles, PC
ININ Games and developer Ys Net have revealed Shenmue III Enhanced, an upgraded edition of the 2019 action RPG. While no release date has been confirmed, the game is expected to release for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo platforms. Players can expect a host of upgrades, including g… Read More »- Review
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition
Ten years ago, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt graced our gaming platforms. It was an overnight smash hit, becoming the best-selling game of 2015 in the UK alone by its first week. CD Projekt RED, its developers, went from a rising star to a household name in a flash. It introduced millions of people (many… Read More »- Article
- Preview
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Prologue Hands-On: A Cozy, Nostalgic, High-Velocity Adventure
Fighting against an ever-expanding game backlog is the closest comparison I have to experiencing a truly Sisyphean task, especially with how many RPGs I still need to play. The Trails series is the clearest example of this. With so many entries and such an interconnected story, it feels like even tr… Read More »- Review
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster
For many years, System Shock 2 was one of gaming’s white whales, at least where digital distribution was concerned. A combination of rights issues and a hunt for the source code spearheaded by dedicated fans meant that the game would not see an official release, digital or otherwise, until 2013. At… Read More »- Article
- News
Kingdoms of the Dump Launches This November
Developers Roach Games and Dream Sloth Games have revealed that their upcoming indie RPG Kingdoms of the Dump is set to release for PC via Steam during November. The announcement came alongside a new trailer showcasing pixellated trash monsters, a world needing to be cleaned, and those inspired to d… Read More »- Article
- News
Triangle Strategy Out Today on PS5, Xbox
Triangle Strategy, the 2022 tactical RPG by Square Enix’s Team Asano, has launched for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox on PC (by way of the Microsoft Store). It’s available on those platforms at a 30% off from now until September 3rd. PlayStation owners will need a PS Plus subscription to a… Read More »- Article
- News
Tales of Xillia Remastered Launches on October 31st
The next Tales of remaster is nearly here! Bandai Namco has announced the next title getting the upgrade treatment to celebrate 30 years of Tales: Tales of Xillia! Like with Tales of Graces Remastered, Tales of Xillia Remastered adds quality-of-life features that will make your life easier as you tr… Read More »- Article
- News
Swords of Legends Unveiled at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025
Publisher Wangyuan Shengtang and developer Aurogon Shanghai have officially revealed Swords of Legends for consoles and PC. The single-player action RPG — originally announced as Gujian 4 in 2021 — is currently in development using Unreal Engine 5. No release date has been shared. Preview the latest… Read More »- Review
Caves of Qud
After 15 years in the making, Freehold Games’ Caves of Qud finally left Early Access in December 2024. After half a year of playing, I finally finished the campaign and feel qualified to review it. Many reviews I’ve seen of Caves of Qud begin similarly: the writer tells a fun anecdote particular to… Read More »Feature
Crowdfunding Chronicles: The Twelve Slot Saloon
Today’s installment of Catfunding…er…Crowdfunding Chronicles takes you to a Wild West wonderland populated by a colorful array of cute animals with guns, hats, and world-changing wishes.- Article
- Rhythm Encounter
- Podcast
Rhythm Encounter 164 – Sean Schafianski: The Sequel
It’s been almost exactly 11 years to the day since we last welcomed video game arranger, producer, and saxophonist Sean Schafianski onto Rhythm Encounter, so it’s long past time we had him on again! With a string of excellent new arrangement albums throughout last year and this year, there’s so much… Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 8/17/25
This week, there isn’t a lot to cover, but we do have an interesting contrast: two smaller titles that I’d rather no one sleep on (no pun intended) coming out alongside a port of a blockbuster game that absolutely no one slept on. RPGs Coming This Week casts a spotlight on all worthy releases in the… Read More »- Review
Dice Gambit
Sometimes, a name hides far more than it suggests. Dice Gambit sounds like a modest, digital board game built around simple bets. So imagine my surprise when close inspection uncovered a cleverly designed tactical RPG packed with interlocking dice-based mechanics, sharp class-based combat, and nuanc… Read More »Music Review
Final Fantasy XI Gifts from Vana’diel: Songs of Rebirth
The Songs of Rebirth digital EP for Final Fantasy XI covers the entirety of the Rhapsodies of Vana’diel chapter. The first six tracks are exclusive to this digital release. The remaining tracks were first published on the Final Fantasy XI Priceless Remembrance Blu-ray disc (and I encourage readers t… Read More »- Article
- News
The Secret of Weepstone Is a Stunning D&D-inspired RPG
DreadXP and Talesworth Game Studio have revealed The Secret of Weepstone—a hand-drawn, monochrome dungeon-crawling RPG that channels the old-school Dungeons & Dragons vibes from the ’70s and ’80s. It is scheduled to release on PC in 2026, with its first demo playable at PAX West 2025 at the Drea… Read More »- Article
- News
Varlet Digital Pre-Orders Available Now
School is (almost) back in session! Ahead of the game’s launch on August 28th, Varlet is now available to pre-order digitally on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The high school RPG will be available in standard and deluxe digital editions. Before we go into the specifics of each ed… Read More »- Article
- Retro Encounter
- Podcast
Retro Encounter 466 – RPG Confessional IV
What about podcasts? You guys got any podcasts? In this week’s episode of Retro Encounter, the host re-opens the RPG confessional, a place where we admit to series that we’ve never played before, much to our shame. Don’t worry, though, we’re just here to encourage our friends to play good stuff! Who… Read More »- Review
OFF (Remaster)
OFF is one of the preeminent forbears of today’s wide variety of narratively off-kilter, classic JRPG-inspired indies. The original game, made in RPG Maker 2003 and released in 2008, ignited a creative spark whose radical flame burns in many hits to follow: from Space Funeral to LISA: The Painful to… Read More »- Review
Persona 5: The Phantom X
Persona 5 certainly has an impressive list of titles under its umbrella, with both the original “vanilla” version of the traditional RPG and its upgraded Royal counterpart co-existing alongside numerous genre spin-offs, including Strikers, Tactica, and Dancing in Starlight. By this point, it only ma… Read More »- Article
- News
HYKE: Northern Light(s) Camps Out for a September 18th Launch
HYKE: Northern Light(s) is finally on the horizon! First revealed last year at the Tokyo Game Show by Aniplex and Akatsuki Games, the 2D pixel art action RPG now has an official release date: September 18th on PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, priced at $27.99 USD. Step into the boots of Hyke… Read More »- Review
Sword and Fairy: Together Forever
When western audiences think of grand, epic fantasy journeys, there’s no doubt that an RPG powerhouse series such as Final Fantasy comes to mind, or, when thinking of action RPGs, their thoughts might drift to Ys. With that in mind, the wuxia action RPG Sword and Fairy: Together Forever is a phenome… Read More »- Article
- Random Encounter
- Podcast
Random Encounter 328 – The Phantom X Menace
On this week’s Random Encounter, we’re discussing a mobile-based gacha spinoff of a beloved JRPG and a Wii U classic that has finally made its way to a modern console! Persona 5 has more than its share of spinoffs, including Persona 5 Royal, Persona 5 Strikers, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, and P… Read More »- Review
Shining Force CD
Believe it or not, Shining Force CD was one of my white whales of gaming. It’s trapped on the SEGA CD with a divisive library that largely doesn’t interest me, giving me few reasons to buy the system. SEGA released Shining Force CD late in the system’s lifecycle, and the SEGA CD isn’t known for its… Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 8/10/25
This edition of RPGs Coming This Week brings a good mix of gameplay and narrative-focused titles. If you’re looking to get immersed in a compelling narrative, we’ve got that, and if you’re looking for some deep turn-based action, well, we’ve got even more of that. Let’s dive in! Mythscroll – August… Read More »- Review
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster comes over 12 years since the publication of the original iteration. Bravely Default itself is something of a touchstone for the JRPG community, frequently working its way into conversations surrounding the genre. Despite this, I never quite got around to en… Read More »- Article
- News
WitchSpring R Gets Xbox One Port, Free DLC on August 22nd
Developer Kiwiwalks has announced that WitchSpring R is making its way to Xbox One on August 22nd, giving even more players the chance to dive into the magical adventure of Pieberry. Along with the rerelease, fans across Xbox, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch will also get a free content update ti… Read More »- Article
- News
Disgaea 7 Complete Launches on Switch 2 October 10th
Pirilika and Fuji are returning to the Hinomoto Netherworld very soon! NIS America announced that Disgaea 7 Complete, a souped-up version of the base game with all the DLC and then some, is hitting the Nintendo Switch 2 on October 10th. If you are attending PAX West, you’ll be able to try out the de… Read More »- Feature
RPGFan in Japan: Tokyo Tourism in Games
As a kid, I was surprised and overjoyed to learn that so many of my favourite geeky things spawned from the same small island nation, far across the globe from small-town Canada. Seriously, Donkey Kong and Dragon Ball came from the same place?! Now, it’s mind-boggling to think I’ve lived here for ov… Read More »- Feature
Retro Encounter Final Thoughts: Breath of Fire II
Matt Wardell For years, the Schwarzenegger-esque barbarian on the North American SNES boxart of Breath of Fire II called out to me, begging me to dive into Capcom’s once-illustrious JRPG series. I answered that call, and as it turns out, that roided warrior is but a sixteen-year-old boy, searching f… Read More »- Article
- News
