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.

even if TEMPEST is an excellent VN for those who don’t mind otome elements and want a darker, more mature plot with a heavy focus on character development. It isn’t a flawless experience, given its plot holes, script errors, and software crashes. But even with those cons, Anastasia’s journey is compelling and one that I found worth diving into quite a few times to see the whole story.

I enjoyed my time with Pyre; I'm glad I played it. The world inspires thought and curiosity, and I'm left with something to mentally chew on for a while. I already miss my new friends. Due to the "check box" nature of getting to know characters and building relationships, I have considered giving it another go with vastly different decisions, but I think I got what I needed out of this. I also wish the history wasn't delivered through chronologically discordant segments of text. Initially, the game feels like a lore dump and there's a lot to know if you want to dive in. I had difficulty wrapping my head around the world's history, and it seemed relevant. The sports matches are fun, but lack the depth or intensity I think the developers were trying to accomplish. I could easily see this being the type of game some people will adore and obsess over, while others will struggle to finish.

A fun, but dated and unoriginal flight through the land of Hyrule. The main quest may be longer than most, and the sidequests may be in abundance, but that doesn't help Twilight Princess from feeling like the same thing we all played nearly ten years ago.

With its compelling storyline, the ensemble cast of memorable characters, and solid worldbuilding, Rise of the Third Power offers longtime JRPG fans a taste of why they fell in love with the genre in the first place. It also allows you to pet a plethora of pooches and pussycats too! Unfortunately, the poorly chosen font, slow-paced battles, lack of fast travel through previously explored areas, and awkward attempts at comic relief bring the game down. However, f you can look past Rise of the Third Power‘s flaws, you will find a robust JRPG experience.

If you're a fan of classic 2D RPGs, then you shouldn't hesitate in picking up Sweet Lily Dreams. It has just the right mix of traditional gameplay and new ideas that make it a joy to play.

As eclectic as its soundtrack, Keylocker has much to love, though with an underlying narrative experience that can be lacking, I can’t recommend the game to everyone. But the superb musical performances and the compelling oddity of it all are good reasons to consider downloading yourself into this flawed but unique adventure.

Although it's certainly not genre busting in any way, it provides Action-RPG fans something better to play than the subpar "Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel." Anyone who is a fan of either the X-Men or Action-RPGs will find a fun, 15-hour game with X-Men Legends.

Genshin Impact might not be the most original game in a lot of respects, but it certainly has a wealth of things to offer players should they still be willing to give it a chance. Overall, I greatly enjoyed my time with it, and I plan to continue playing once future updates are implemented. The fact that it can be played for free is also quite impressive given just how much time you can invest in the game, especially with people perhaps staying at home more and being on a budget. All in all, Genshin Impact is a surprisingly solid action RPG adventure!

While Revenant Wings may be little more than a handheld equivalent to Final Fantasy X-2, it does what it was meant to do quite well.

Young Souls is easy to recommend if you’re hungry for a beat-em-up or dungeon crawler – or better yet, a clever combination of the two! Doubly so if you’re looking for a gorgeous, kid-friendly title to introduce a youngster to the brand of game that captivated you when you were their age. Young Souls’s rewarding gameplay loop, beautiful world, and heartening story make up for its so-so audio and other disappointments, leaving me hoping for a sophomore outing by 1P2P sooner rather than later.

If you enjoy horror and mystery in your visual novel, you are bound to enjoy Sound of Drop, but it is unlikely to become your favorite.

Dragalia Lost makes for a very good first step into original mobile game IPs for Nintendo.

SteamWorld Quest is a perfectly serviceable RPG, but a disappointment when compared to previous SteamWorld games.

Although not Game of the Year, Valkyria Chronicles is worth 30 hours of your time.

Persona 5: The Phantom X is a free-to-play traditional RPG Persona 5 spin-off boasting a surprising amount of depth in terms of gameplay, storyline, and characters. Besides some wonky PC controls, the “gacha wall” you inevitably run up against if you’re trying to play it for completely free is the only thing truly holding the game back. Nonetheless, in a lot of respects, it’s a strong Persona title and one of the better free-to-play RPGs I’ve tried out. I enjoyed my time with the game, and can see myself playing it for a while into the future too. For me, that speaks volumes as to how decent a game Persona 5: The Phantom X can be.

Life is Strange: True Colors opens phenomenally well and then somehow loses its way, never really knowing if it wanted to tell a cheesy conspiracy story or dive completely into slice-of-life territory. I wish it chose an identity. Most of all, I wish it took some chances. I don’t want to say the series is growing stale, but there’s certainly a careful balance needed between giving fans what they expect and reinventing some aspect of itself. This is a cool world to get lost in over a weekend, but it may float on by as a passing phase.

With an awful plot, some shoddy controls and poor dialogue working against it, you might expect that Rogue Galaxy would receive a poor overall score from me... and you'd be right if it weren't for everything else. The gameplay, in particular, was a saving grace but the music and graphics also pulled this game from the depths of despair into something fun.

A little more love could've made Mandatory Happiness an essential visual novel, but as it stands, it's still a pretty good cyberpunk adventure.

Fortunately, the game never overstays its welcome, and that alone makes it worth a recommendation to anyone who enjoyed The Legend of Zelda or other NES classics.

It’s the style and feel of Beyond Galaxyland that kept me interested to the end of Doug’s journey. Though many of the supporting systems are pretty familiar and some are in real need of reconsideration, the thematic narrative has enough mystery to engage. Exploring the intricate graphical detail of the world, and its original worldbuilding, is fun for most of the runtime, and the efficient combat doesn’t bog this down. If a key element of the genre is exploring new worlds, then Beyond Galaxyland puts its best foot forward. It’s just a bit wobbly in how it gets there. Prepare to give it some slack on the journey, and you’ll have a decent time.

Phantom Brigade contains two distinctive halves: the lovingly crafted battle system and the almost-but-not-quite overworld. It’s understandable that a first-time team with an excellent idea would choose to be laser-focused on that one idea, but the game could have been a classic if the rest were fleshed out. In a crowded factory of mech games, Phantom Brigade performs well in combat; it’s just not much to look at.

If you're looking for a clever, short RPG that does something a little different while being firmly entrenched in mechanics and storytelling inspired by 8-bit classics, Brave Hero Yuusha EX is an excellent choice.

Open Roads is a brief, affecting tale that isn’t going to change lives or revolutionize gaming, but it is undeniably charming and comfortable despite its difficult themes. By this point, you’ll know if you’re the kind of gamer for this, but if you’re still on the fence about the quality, rest assured that Open Roads feels lovingly crafted and has a distinctly human story to tell. If you were at Tess’ age, like me, in 2003, you may get even more out of it, though your mileage may vary.

It wouldn’t be wrong to label Fairy Tail: Dungeons as Baby’s First Roguelike, though that might be selling the surprisingly crunchy gameplay experience short. Veterans have plenty to dig into, even if they might ultimately breeze through it. It can also be an entertaining entry point into the niche roguelike genre, which can be an acquired taste. I wish there were more of it, so here’s hoping there will be someday.

Ever Oasis is a competent blend of simulation and action RPG that revels in its celebration of nature's bounty.

I finished Another Code: Recollection in about 15 hours, and even though I’m being a bit harsh on the puzzle design, I really enjoyed the time I spent with it. It’s a good remake that makes two interesting stories available to experience again after over a decade. That is my big takeaway; these remakes are about the stories. The excellent graphics overhaul, reimagined locations, and solid performances make it clear that telling interesting stories was the primary goal here. The puzzle design came second, and that might not be what every fan of the original games is hoping for. Another Code: Recollection reimagines two classic point-and-click adventure games as visual novels for beginners, and it does an excellent job meeting that goal. This remake doesn’t make the original games obsolete, but it’s the definitive way to experience the story of Ashley Robins.

While it definitely isn’t flawless, Bakumatsu Renka SHINSENGUMI is an overall solid otome experience. This version of the Shinsengumi’s story has quite a bit to offer should you be willing to put in the time and get past the more dated art and style. Despite the hiccups, I’m ultimately glad I gave this VN a chance.