Atlas Fallen isn’t a terrible game by any stretch of the imagination, nor an exceedingly memorable one. Still, I did enjoy the time I spent playing it and think it serves as a decent diversion, if nothing else. I don’t recommend buying at full price, but I could see it being a game one might purchase at a discount later and have fun with. With the shifting of sands and the passage of time, Atlas Fallen can become a pleasant surprise for those who might eventually unearth it.

Does Mages have me back with Anonymous;Code? I think so. That might be a surprising answer given everything I’ve said above, but I can see the bones of what the developer wanted to pull off here. There are some fun moments, and I enjoyed my time with it, but that outline of something better makes it clear that this game doesn’t live up to what it could have been. So, I once again live in hope, hope that the next time I load into a Science Adventure game, I can see their full ambitions realized.

Overall, I think Norn9: Last Era is a surprising improvement in some respects to its predecessor: offering new perspectives on the original’s storylines and showing detailed consequences for its many routes. It doesn’t necessarily fix problems Norn9: Var Commons has, but it elaborates on the inherent potential sometimes lost in the original game. Last Era is easily one of the best otome fandisks I’ve played, and I can recommend it to either returning Norn9 fans or newcomers curious about this particular visual novel series. Just go into this with tempered expectations, and you’ll find this attempt at a reset is more than decent.

I have to hand it to Starfield. It delivered on its promises, and maybe a little more. It hosts a remarkably immersive, player-focused game space, and I am captivated by all elements of its design, even its blemishes, of which there are fewer than expected. It is a game whose components are captivating alone but greater than their sum. Somehow, it crafts a near-infinite space for play, but it leaves more still for players to explore. And it does so in interesting and innovative ways, almost reflecting back on itself as if it were Constellation, whose motto is appropriately “infinitum addendum,” or what we are adding to infinity.

Its trio of heroes is memorable, truly standing out in a compelling and detailed narrative. In particular, this fifteen-plus hour game’s last few entertaining hours just flew by. I give the title credit for being an unexpectedly enjoyable gaming experience.

I had high hopes for Sea of Stars from the moment I first laid eyes on it, and I’m pleased to report that it has lived up to just about all of my expectations. It’s gorgeous, fun to play, has a great cast and story, and the music is a joy to listen to. Whether you are looking for a nostalgic experience inspired by classic RPGs or simply a great RPG in its own right, look no further than Sea of Stars.

It’s unfortunate that it took over twenty years for the West to experience Rhapsody II properly, as the game is incredibly fun, amusing, and full of both heart and charm. The characters are just as hilarious as they are heartfelt, the musical numbers make the game stand out amongst its peers, and the game is wildly creative in every aspect. Rhapsody II‘s short length ensures it’s a breezy experience and a perfect palette cleanser amidst the sea of RPGs set in miserable worlds. Rhapsody II is a vastly improved sequel on all fronts, and while it has a few minor blemishes, it’s easy to recommend to anyone looking for a unique experience.

WrestleQuest is the best RPG and pro wrestling collaboration since The New Day hosted WrestleMania 33 decked out in Final Fantasy XIV cosplay. Even if you have no idea what I’m referring to, you can still thoroughly enjoy a beautifully crafted RPG that, like The Lego Movie, doesn’t just speak to your inner child but excitedly hoots and hollers out to it. WrestleQuest reimagines familiar concepts in a fresh and enticing way making it one of the most imaginative RPGs I’ve played in years. Take your protein, talk to your maker, and go play WrestleQuest today! OH SI!

My unease aside, The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is a mighty pleasant way for a sci-fi RPG fan to spend 30-40 hours, especially if you haven’t yet played its two DLC packs. It is wonderfully crafted, offers compelling choices between “right” and “wrong,” and gives curious players a few hidden pathways beyond those binaries. Its worlds are compact and homespun. It is not a galaxy of content, but in a world full of corporate bloat, overlong working hours, console wars, and games as a service, all I can say is thank goodness for that.

It won’t matter as much once all five episodes are available, but it’s hard for me to think that an hour of game time doled out every two weeks is substantial enough for most early adopters of The Expanse. Still, the ending of Episode 2 left me tentatively optimistic for the remainder of the series, as things are heating up in many ways. I hope the thrills will be more thrilling and impactful, and I’m looking forward to seeing how my decisions affect Camina’s reputation as a leader. And I can’t wait to find out how merely breathing might upset Khan again.

Videoverse has to be one of the most authentic time travel pieces of media I’ve ever experienced. I’ve played countless games that lean heavily on nostalgia—oftentimes cheaply—to try to make me feel like a kid again or at least like I was immersed in something similar to those RPGs of yore. Videoverse might be the only title to truly accomplish that.

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is undeniably engrossing, with a strong cast of characters and a story that twists and turns. Armchair tacticians, get your leaning ready, because there’s booty afoot, and the only ones who can claim it are a bunch of dead bodies. You got this!

As far as faults, there were occasionally times when a song might halt before looping again at specific points during a scene, and if you use the auto-skip feature, you might find it hard to figure out the exact text before a decision point pops up. But, honestly? There isn’t much to critique when it comes to Trouble Comes Twice. It does what it sets out to do admirably! At its core, this is a successful, feel-good VN with a romantic edge. VN fans who don’t mind the slice-of-life genre would do well to give the game a chance, as Trouble Comes Twice is soothingly comforting and the game equivalent of a warm hug.

The core of Roll Player is beautiful in its accessibility, but like any well-designed game, the nuance and player interaction make it a cozy experience to chew on. Rest assured, this is not a complex or deep game by any stretch of the imagination, but if you have twenty or so minutes to burn while socializing with friends, this fits the mold exceptionally well. Unfortunately, this being an online game of little repute, finding a game can be a bit of a challenge, but that’s where apps like Discord come in handy (there’s even an official Roll Player Discord server). The game’s online features allow for active games and play-by-mail sorts of ventures, though I wish there was a notification system baked in so that I know when someone has taken their turn; otherwise, I’m just opening the app to guess when it’s my turn. If you have a friend to play with, local multiplayer is always an option. I can see myself returning to Roll Player for years to come when the urge to roll some dice strikes.

Are Omori’s RPG systems all that nuanced or thrilling to engage with? Not really. Yet, it works well enough and some of its battles will stick with me far longer than many finely tuned fights I’ve experienced in turn-based RPGs due to their thoughtful incorporation into specific parts of the story. Ultimately, the reason to play this game is for the dark and twisting narrative and how it permeates into multiple aspects of the experience. The art, OST, and battle system add essential flavoring to the gameplay. Some pacing, balance, and tonal issues that can’t be denied—but those aren’t at all what I’m coming away from this game thinking about. Omori pulled my heart in directions that few videogames ever have. It brims with a disturbing yet genuine intimacy that, like the rest of the best RPG Maker games, proves how much can still be done with the traditional JRPG format.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Game is a phenomenal visual novel and interactive musical. I do feel prior knowledge of Greek mythology might prove beneficial to someone’s overall enjoyment, and those who aren’t VN or musical fans won’t alter their taste with what is here, but those who love well-crafted VNs with choice-heavy narratives and who also love musicals? Those gamers will find plenty to appreciate! Grace’s journey of self-discovery is just as heroically compelling and epically grandiose as the myths she’s now interacting with, and it’s a song worth belting out.

Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains is a rather interesting game to review. On the one hand, I am perhaps too lenient towards the English translation by rating it as I have, but there’s still a solid RPG experience at the game’s core. I admit to being entertained by the English script for all the wrong reasons, but I became engrossed by it. The clues of “something better” within the plot proved both frustrating and enough to keep me speculating. It’s a shame the game couldn’t have been translated more adequately because I can see where the title could have appealed to those wanting a thoughtful, solidly set-up traditional RPG. Despite this game’s flaws, I still want to see more Xuan-Yuan Sword titles released in the West. But, of the ones that have gotten localized thus far, Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is the more substantial title despite its action RPG leanings. Unfortunately, some things are lost in translation in this remaster, making the journey to the East a conflict at best.

While I enjoyed my time in space in Episode 1 of The Expanse, a part of me still wanted more. Unfortunately, that’s not only because it was so enthralling that I couldn’t wait to see the other side of the cliffhanger ending, but because it’s so short. On a second playthrough, I picked all the opposite choices of my first run, but the consequences are too far-reaching to feel any difference. Episode 1 mainly serves as a mere reintroduction to Camina and her surroundings, which are new to fans of the show and newbs alike. It’s The Expanse, not The Compact, and I get the feeling I’ll need to see the rest of the series to have a firm position on where it lands.

Overall, Jagged Alliance 3 is an impressive and endlessly entertaining production that not only revives an old series but does it justice in a more modern style. The story and characters make for another compelling entry in the series. Grand Chien is wholly believable as a vibrant nation, even though it’s non-existent. Combat is expertly converted to a 3-D environment, and there are so many strategic layers that it’s good to the last drop for the 50-ish hours it should take to complete. It’s easy to see how players could return time and again to check out all of the mercs and challenge themselves to level up the weaker ones. Haemimont Games wrung all the fun they could out of this system and served it up on a diamond-crusted platter. Jagged Alliance 3 gets the job done and even throws in a little extra. I love it when a plan comes together.

Radiant Tale presents an admirable and enjoyable fantasy romance narrative. It might not be original, but the game does what it sets out to do, both successfully and entertainingly. Radiant Tale is another top-quality otome title on the Nintendo Switch, sure to put a smile on the faces of genre enthusiasts. Without further ado, let’s get on with the show!

A fulfilling RPG experience that doesn’t require a 50+ hour time commitment is always welcome for those of us with busy schedules. The 13 or so hours I spent on a single playthrough Arcadian Atlas was time wonderfully spent. With its expressive sprites, fun gameplay, robust writing, and jazzy music, it is clear that Arcadian Atlas was crafted with lots of heart and is definitely worth a look.

If you are a fan of any of the weird and wacky titles that came out of developer Love-de-Lic, you owe it to yourself to play 24 Killers. If you’re unfamiliar with games like moon or Chulip but enjoy adventure games or experimental RPGs, I can’t recommend 24 Killers enough. Happy Shabby Games managed to avoid most of the pitfalls of adventure game design (obtuse puzzles, unintuitive progression requirements) while preserving what makes the genre so special.

Cross Tails may not be one of the best tactical RPGs I’ve ever played, but it is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for a developer and publisher who are often accused of churning out generic, by-the-numbers games lacking in creativity. A dime-a-dozen plot and poor translation let the story down, but Cross Tails makes up for it with unique mechanics and a solid battle system that provides a moderate challenge.

While I’m ultimately disappointed by a few of the newer features LISA: Definitive Edition boasts, I’m overall pleased with the finished product. The border art, new songs, Painless mode, text scaling, and more are all incredible quality-of-life improvements to an already great game. Adding extra dialogue, endings, and enemies is just RPG gravy. LISA: Definitive Edition takes a game I’d already recommend playing and makes it that much more accessible.

Darkest Dungeon 2 isn’t a perfect game by any means, and as someone who isn’t a fan of difficult games or games that I feel intentionally aim to cause me grief, I cannot say I wasn’t annoyed or even lashed out at the game. But the design behind Darkest Dungeon II, the care put into exploring this world, telling this tale, and making a game that you’d want to play repeatedly is absolutely brilliant. As it was the first time around. Iteratively, Darkest Dungeon II is a must-play for anyone who found anything enjoyable about the first game. Newcomers be warned: Darkest Dungeon II is an incredible experience.

Atelier Marie Remake should be approached in the same way one would approach the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series. It’s a look back at where everything began with some modern touches rather than an evolution of the series. The game relies on its charm and simplicity, and given its nature as a simulation game, it leans heavily on the time management aspect. The remake serves as the perfect way to take a look into the past while adding a bevy of quality-of-life updates along with a modern UI. Personally, I hope this is just the first step in bringing the last few un-localized mainline titles to the West, and I eagerly await an announcement of an Atelier Elie remake.

The issues the characters face outside the supernatural horrors bearing down upon them are the most relatable we’ve seen in the series yet. Teens struggle against their own troublesome pasts, adults are desperate not to repeat their worst mistakes, and authority figures with their authority breaking down as they’re drawn into intense, personal problems. Those are the moments that stand out long after playing, far more so than any crazy time portal or ghostly possession. OXENFREE II tells an extremely human story, and it tells it very well. If you have any interest in games as a vehicle for storytelling, OXENFREE II offers something you shouldn’t miss.

Digimon Survive should have a lot of depth, with partner Digimon evolving and devolving, free-roaming Digimon to recruit, and a vibrant cast of characters who, on the surface, are generally enjoyable. Looking at the game from afar, it truly captures a feeling of desolation and nostalgia. But it comes up just short when it comes to gameplay and story—the two most important things for an SRPG and visual novel hybrid. A “Truthful” path awaits as a New Game+ option, but the gameplay shortcomings, unfortunately, aren’t alleviated with repeat playthroughs. Digimon Survive‘s charms aren’t fleeting by any means, but neither are its disappointments.