- Review
Bomberman Quest
Bomberman Quest is the result of throwing Bomberman into one of the Gameboy Legend of Zelda games. It’s a mashup of Bomberman’s bomb-based gameplay with Zelda’s structure and mechanics, which becomes evident about two minutes into playing it. Since this is a mashup, the game deserves a hybridized na… Read More »- Article
- Retro Encounter
- Podcast
Retro Encounter 427 – Dark Souls Part II
What is bravery without a dash of recklessness? Five Retro Encounter panelists recently finished the first Dark Souls, and it’s every bit as impressive, intense, and moving today as it was in 2011. Today the panel talks about the game’s undercooked second-half environments, the fully-realized… Read More »- Feature
The Classic RPGs that Skipped Europe
I got my first console back in the late nineties when I was around twelve — a PS1. In the preceding months, I spent hours thumbing through gaming magazines and getting excited about specifically playing Final Fantasy VIII (which was due out soon) and Final Fantasy VII (which I’d bought a magazine wa… Read More »- Review
Stellar Blade
NieR: Automata is one of the most influential games of the previous generation and one of my favorite games of all time. So, when a NieR-like game gets announced, I sit up and listen. When Stellar Blade was revealed in 2019, it quickly slotted itself into my most anticipated list. Every trailer pain… Read More »- Article
- News
2D Zelda-Like Castaway Launches August 16th
Lunark developer Canari Games has announced Castaway, a top-down action-adventure title, is releasing worldwide on August 16th for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. This charming bite-sized game features pixel art visuals and is heavily inspi… Read More »- Article
- News
Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2 Soundtracks Now Available to Stream
Atlus has announced that the original soundtracks for its cult-classic RPGs Digital Devil Saga and Digital Devil Saga 2 are now available on music streaming services. This release commemorates the series’ 20th anniversary. The music has been consolidated into one playlist with a total of 139 songs.… Read More »- Article
- News
9 R.I.P. Spooks Up Eligible Bachelors on October 15th
Look out, it’s a scary… boyfriend? Idea Factory’s upcoming spooky otome game, 9 R.I.P., launches on the Nintendo Switch digitally and physically on October 15th. Physical copies will be available in standard and limited editions. Dive into the world of handsome, spooky spirits in the trailer below… Read More »- Article
- Random Encounter
- Podcast
Random Encounter 301 – Oy “Vay,” We Could Use a Vacation to Hinterberg
On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re diving into a magical alpine journey and revisiting a classic RPG. First up, Abe joins us to discuss Dungeons of Hinterberg. This action RPG with Zelda and Persona-like elements is set in a beautiful Austrian resort town, combining combat, puzzles, and soci… Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 7/21/24
This edition of RPGs Coming This Week solidifies 2024 as an exceptionally strong year for RPGs. I mean, we knew that before the year even started, but it kind of hits differently when you lay it out week after week. And this week, seven solid titles grace storefronts for the first time. Not all of t… Read More »- Review
Racing Lagoon
The mid-to-late ’90s are by far the peak of creativity and ingenuity for legendary development house Squaresoft. Buoyed by Final Fantasy VII’s success on the PlayStation in 1997, Squaresoft created a wide range of experimental titles for the platform, blending genres like survival-horror (Parasite E… Read More »- Music Review
Nintendo Switch Pokémon Scarlet・Violet + The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Super Music Collection
In February 2024, The Pokémon Company decided to make up for lost time by publishing not one, not two, but three OSTs on the same day. Among them was the soundtrack to their gen-9 flagship title: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet! This soundtrack is the largest of any from the franchise to date, spanning… Read More »- Article
- Preview
AI LIMIT Hands-On Preview: A Sci-Fi Souls-like with Style
The action RPG landscape is dominated by Metroidvanias and Souls-likes these days. As the subgenre gets more crowded, developers must find ways to make their games stand out amidst a sea of clones. Aside from The Surge, there haven’t been many sci-fi-oriented Souls-likes, and outside of Code Vein, t… Read More »- Article
- Retro Encounter
- Podcast
Retro Encounter 426 – Dark Souls Part I
Let’s praise the sun! Doo-doo-doo-doo The Dark Souls of RPGFan podcasts has finally arrived! Dark Souls is one of the most celebrated RPGs of the 2010s, helping to establish an entire new genre of RPG. Today, one Dark Souls newcomer and four Souls-like veterans discuss this challenging, carefully-cr… Read More »- Article
- News
Unmask the Truth in Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club, Coming August 29th
Three decades after The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind, developer Nintendo has brought back the Famicom Detective Club series with a new mystery adventure game titled Emio – The Smiling Man. This third installment will debut on August 29th exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. Digital an… Read More »- Review
Dungeons of Hinterberg
Everyone needs a chance to escape the doldrums of life on occasion to refresh and re-find themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. For some, this could mean taking a trip to a whole different environment and possibly discovering a new course for their life. For many, that’s one of the reaso… Read More »- Feature
RPGFan’s Top 25 PS4 RPGs
A lot of people will point to the Super Nintendo or the PS1 as the “Golden Era” of RPGs, and there’s certainly something to that. But the PS4 is full of so many excellent RPGs, and they run the gamut between big budget, AAA titles, smaller AA titles, and indie darlings that took the genre in unexpec… Read More »- Article
- News
GreedFall 2: The Dying World Launches in Early Access September 24th
In a recent trailer, publisher Nacon and developer Spiders announced September 24th as the Early Access release date of GreedFall 2: The Dying World. It was more than two years ago when the sequel to GreedFall was first revealed. Here’s the 40-second announcement trailer uploaded to Nacon’s YouTube… Read More »- Review
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
Sieges are prolonged military campaigns rooting out a city or a settlement’s inhabitants and defenders. Fortunately, soulslite action RPG Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn’s campaign isn’t an excruciatingly long siege, despite its title. It offers players an entertaining gameplay loop that manages not to… Read More »- Review
System Shock (Remake)
We are just rats in a maze. I turned 32 years old during my playthrough of System Shock’s remake for consoles. I am just old enough, I think, to remember a time when first-person shooters shared far more in common with mazes than gymnasiums or amusement park rides. Yellow cards, blue cards, green ca… Read More »- Article
- News
GBC-Inspired Veritus Launches July 22nd on PC
Publisher and developer Colorgrave has announced Veritus, a new top-down adventure influenced by the era of Game Boy Color pixelated graphics. Players don’t have to wait any longer to experience this classic; it launches on July 22nd for PC via Steam. Check out the announcement trailer, which featur… Read More »- Article
- News
Paraside: Duality Unbound Splits Reality in 2025
The publisher WhisperGames, with notable title Astlibra Revision under their belts, is releasing another stellar-looking title, this time a strategy RPG. Paraside: Duality Unbound, developed by the American and Chinese team Mistold Games, is a post-apocalyptic tale that splits the world into two dif… Read More »- Article
- Rhythm Encounter
- Podcast
Rhythm Encounter 139 – Indie RPG Music Spotlight
The indie RPG scene is ever expanding, and while indie RPG music makes its way into many a Rhythm Encounter episode, we wanted to make an episode just about celebrating the music from indie devs. We enjoyed it so much, we may even make this a regularly recurring topic! But, for now, come journey thr… Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 7/14/24
No niche will be left unserved in this edition of RPGs Coming This Week… except the tactics fans. Sorry, but SRPG junkies have to wait a bit longer for their fix. For everyone else, let’s just dive into this week’s embarrassment of riches! B-Project Ryusei Fantasia – July 15th (Windows) B-Project… Read More »- Review
Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Night Liberator
The Atelier series has seen numerous crossovers over the past 25 years. Be they collaborations with Capcom and NIS like Cross Edge and Trinity Universe, one-versus-one-thousand Musou games like Warriors All-Stars, or even town management sims such as Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of t… Read More »- Review
Arslan: The Warriors of Legend
I’m the first to admit that my knowledge of Musuo/Warriors games is severely limited. I’ve only played three spin-off titles from the celebrated hack-and-slash subgenre. The first two were Fire Emblem Warriors and Touken Ranbu Warriors, which I immensely enjoyed. However, it was… Read More »- Article
- News
Famitsu Shares Stunning Gameplay Footage of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake
Famitsu has shared a 30-minute gameplay video (below) of the highly anticipated Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. The video features a full tour of the opening island, starting in the iconic town of Aliahan, vividly reimagined in living, breathing detail. A party of four adventurers explores a sprawlin… Read More »- Review
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Panzer Dragoon Saga is gaming’s most well-hidden masterpiece. And while it is not necessarily cloaked in underground obscurity nor buried under obtuse design, playing it legitimately today requires a monetary devotion that is practically unachievable for all but the extremely wealthy, making it a ra… Read More »Article
Retro Encounter 425 – RPGFan Quiz Show VI: Contest of Champions
There can only be one. Since time immemorial (May of 2019), Retro Encounter has held quiz shows to determine which Retro Encounter panelist knows the most about the subject we celebrate every day on our beloved website. Today, five former RPGFan quiz show winners duke it out in a trivia free-for-all… Read More »- Review
Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories
The release history of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is a somewhat long and strange one. Commercially overshadowed by its immediate predecessor and successor, it was initially released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004. After several years, the game got a remake in 3D for the PlayStation 2 as Kin… Read More »- Article
- News
GBA Classic Sigma Star Saga Returns in 2025
Twenty years after its initial Game Boy Advance release, developer WayForward is bringing back Sigma Star Saga in 2025. It’s expected to come out for PC, “modern platforms”, and even the GBA again, as a reproduction cart. It will run on Limited Run Games’ proprietary Carbon Engine, which enables por… Read More »- Article
- News
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II Officially Rises in the West in 2025
It’s official! NIS America have announced that The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II will be coming West in early 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG. Check out the announcement trailer below. NIS America may have been forced… Read More »- Article
- News
Ys X: Nordics Launches October 25th; Pre-Orders Now Available
Well, fans don’t have to wait longer, as developer Nihon Falcom and publisher NIS America have finally locked in October 25th as the western release date for Ys X: Nordics. The tenth entry in the series will launch for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, GOG, and the Epi… Read More »- Article
- News
Metaphor: ReFantazio Delves into Story in Anime Expo Showcase
ATLUS’ next epic, Metaphor: ReFantazio, is seeing release in a few months. However, the company stoked the flames of anticipation with a panel at Anime Expo showcasing the game’s fantasy story. Game Director Katsura Hashina and Character Designer Shigenori Soejima revealed the perils players are in… Read More »Article
Random Encounter 300 – Draft to the Future
On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re celebrating our 300th episode with a special draft! Four years is a long time in the video game industry, so we’re making predictions about what things will be like when we record our 400th episode in April 2028. Jono has gathered all the hosts from the RPG… Read More »- Article
- News
RPGs Coming This Week, 7/7/24
This edition of RPGs Coming This Week is, once again, for the visual novel enjoyers. And yet, I feel like now’s a good time for unversed folks to check it out. With everything going on lately, I know for sure I’d love a quiet evening reading an engrossing tale on my Nintendo Switch. If that sounds l… Read More »- Review
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
It’s now par de course for ATLUS to release expanded follow-up releases of their titles, the first being Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3: FES back in 2008. Nearly 20 years later, with almost as much of a mouthful of a title, we have been blessed with Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. This version-1.5 g… Read More »- Review
Stray Gods: Orpheus
When the lights go out after the show, what do you do when you get an unexpected encore? Stray Gods: Orpheus, a DLC follow-up to Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, invites you to step into the shoes of the long-suffering Orpheus after the main game’s conclusion. Orpheus, idling during his eternity… Read More »- Review
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak
In The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak, the blurry line between law and chaos is painted with shades of gray. You play as Van Arkride, a “spriggan” taking on all types of jobs for people that fall between the cracks of society so long as they don’t overstep his honor code. Located in the R… Read More »- Article
- News
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana Launches West in Early 2025
Adol has found his voice! After a rocky reveal, we’re learning more about the upcoming release of Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana, now set for early 2025. The HD remaster of Ys: The Oath in Felghana, itself a remake of Ys III: Wanderers From Ys, adds new features like improved visuals, new art, tur… Read More »- Article
- Retro Encounter
- Podcast