With the sheer amount of meticulous effort Level-5 has put into the overall experience, this is easily one of the most enjoyable RPGs I have had the pleasure of playing in years. I couldn’t shake this undeniably genuine feeling of tingly nostalgia that washed over me whenever I was playing the game. Whether you are a fan of traditional adventures or just looking for something downright refreshing, it’s quite possible Ni no Kuni II will have the same overwhelmingly positive effect on you as it did on me.

All in all, it’s hard to argue against this collection, even with those small technical issues. For less than a full-priced game you are getting not one, but two great and substantial RPGs. Cyber Sleuth is easily among the best Digimon games and stories, while Hacker’s Memory might have its downsides compared to the base game but still is an good game on its own. If you ever enjoyed Digimon but haven’t played either of these games, then this is the way to experience modern Digimon at its best. Even those who haven’t heard of Digimon can have a good time since they’re great RPGs, and those who already played them can even go back to the original Cyber Sleuth and enjoy its improvements taken from Hacker’s Memory. If the future of Digimon games takes notes from this series, then I’m excited to see them evolve even further.

It's probably inevitable that Shin Megami Tensei V won't be exactly what everybody wanted from a new entry into the franchise. Although I had a few qualms with it overall, and there are definitely some growing pains with its direction in places, I came away mostly content with how Atlus handled this latest installment. While Shin Megami Tensei V's new direction may not suit everyone's expectations for the series, Atlus has returned to the franchise with an ambitious fifth entry.

Coming in at $14.99, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on Switch is an easy recommendation. While certainly showing its age in the gameplay and visual department, the fantastic story, characters, and lore found within have stood the test of time and remain some of the best that the old Expanded Universe had to offer. Even in this age of NFTs, Dogecoin, season passes, and games-as-a-service, Knights of the Old Republic remains a WRPG classic that Switch owners should run out and experience. May the force be with you.

Fae Tactics is not really like other tactical RPGs that I've played, despite sharing a lot of foundational DNA as some of the greats. While other similar games have ended up feeling a fair bit more derivative, Fae Tactics's manages to stand out on pure inventiveness and imaginative structure. A unique narrative framework, distinct focus on summoning mechanics, high level of variety, and smartly-designed challenge makes Fae Tactics a near must-play for fans of tactical RPGs.

Looking back on my time with Pyre, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. The game is a beautifully wrapped package, with great gameplay and deep lore and plot to delve into if you want to. The gameplay is enjoyable enough to make the multiplayer mode worth taking a look at, lack of online features aside. Pyre really grabs you early on and doesn't let go until the very end, where you learn of the effects of your decisions throughout the game. This is Supergiant's best title yet, and I cannot stress this enough - this isn't a game to miss.

I wasn’t expecting to have this much fun with Disgaea 4 Complete. The story didn’t blow me away, but the humorous dialogue and amazing cast go a long way. It’s still an incredibly addicting game with multiple endings and an insane amount of content. If you’ve already spent countless hours on the Vita version you might not find too much of a reason to grab Complete +, but this is the definitive release of one HL of an SRPG. That’s all from me, I’m off to go kill some more time in the Item-World now, dood.

Pillars of Eternity is worth looking into for any RPG fan. The game has a great plot and world to explore, and Obsidian has given players enough options to ensure that anyone can see the end of the story, regardless of skill level. It can be a bit overwhelming at times, and if you’re on a higher difficulty it’s not afraid to tear your party to pieces, but if you didn’t pick this up on Steam due to being a console gamer, you don’t have an excuse now.

Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- is simply a fantastic visual novel to read from beginning to end. It is single-handedly the closest example of what a modern AAA visual novel would entail; the amount of care put into its production values is incredible in the realm of visual novels. The English localization does a magnificent job matching the tone, spirit, and meaning of its source material as every character’s personality shines through their dialogue brilliantly in English. A few blemishes in the clumsy nature of its flowchart navigation hold it back slightly, but I couldn’t be happier with how the official English release of the Tsukihime remake has beautifully turned out.

World of Horror is simply awesome. The wait for its full release may have been lengthy, but I think the final product was well worth it. There aren’t really that many games that nail the feeling that World of Horror provides. It delicately balances a lot of systems to provide a challenging, yet fair roguelite RPG experience. I highly recommend World of Horror for anyone who wants an enjoyable, unique RPG that is okay with pacing it out through multiple bite-sized playthroughs.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles isn’t perfect, but it’s the closest that the series has ever been to that lofty goal. These games are Shu Takumi at his absolute best, and it’s a blessing that western players finally have the chance to play them without resorting to fan translations. Whether you’re a new fan, or have been with the series from the very beginning, I can’t recommend The Great Ace Attorney: Chronicles enough.

Moonlighter is a refreshing take on the rogue-like that not only adds to the genre with the use of its shopkeeping mechanic but makes use of its rich environments and items to tell a truly interesting story. Despite some performance issues my experience with Moonlighter was extremely positive, and I can’t wait to return to Rynoka and revisit the story of Will and Moonlighter once again.

When it comes to looking at remakes and remasters, the one question you really have to ask is, does this improve upon the original game? Thanks to a beautiful presentation, fantastic gameplay that more than holds up today and some significant gameplay tweaks, Link’s Awakening shows that old-school Zelda has just as much of a place in contemporary gaming as it did back in 1993.

Demonschool works because it trusts you. It doesn’t over-explain or lean too hard on creaky nostalgia. You solve the weirdness and enjoy the ride. Strategic, puzzle-like combat replaces grinding, and seeing multiple endings is devilish fun. The only scary thing is how fun it is.

I might not have liked everything they did with Dragon Quest I here, but it got me to reflect on what parts of Dragon Quest I found special to me. In Dragon Quest II, a game I originally respected but didn’t really enjoy as much, it got me to reflect on what I value from this entire franchise. Dragon Quest II was the perfect playground for this team to take the lessons learned from the pacing and storytelling of nine other Dragon Quest games and apply them to a game that always felt lacking. It manages to elevate so much of the original II and turn it into one of my new favorite games in the series. It’s a crowning achievement, and anyone who enjoys classical turn-based RPGs should give DQII its flowers now.

The main story quest is appetizing and gives way to a robust, whimsical, and flashy multiplayer component that can entertain for hours. After a delayed development, Granblue Fantasy: Relink finally arrives, and it simply sings.

Those same elements that made the first one so enjoyable, combine with a better story, better customization systems, better level design and more, make Nioh 2 a confident sequel that stands above the previous game and firmly establishes itself as its own kind of game. No longer should Nioh be compared to other games; those other games should be compared to Nioh 2.

While many of its gameplay systems remain the same, Monolith Soft did a tremendous job tweaking battles to make them a bit faster-paced and more digestible all at once. Even though the expansion has its share of problems, like gating progress with forced sidequest thresholds, I still found it a lot of fun and people who loved the world of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will have an absolute blast with this new perspective of the stories they’ve heard before.

I’m not the biggest fan of games that punish you for the smallest mistake, but in spite of that, I really enjoyed my time with Darkest Dungeon. The game rarely feels unfair, and proper preparations and knowledge of what you’re getting into will generally get you through to the end safely. While the loop of entering dungeons and slowly building up resources and character levels might seem repetitive on paper, it’s really more addicting, as you eventually gain parties strong enough to defeat bosses and delve into the Darkest Dungeon itself. Its addition to the Switch library is a great boon, and I highly recommend it there—however, this difficult RPG is worth the price of admission on any platform.

Druidstone is a perfect entry point for RPG fans that are interested in this style of tactical game without having to invest several dozens of hours in a longer experience that they may not enjoy. It doesn't offer a lot in terms of unique themes or robust storytelling, but it's balanced out by an impressive variety of encounter designs and flexibility for different playstyles. On top of these strengths, it also offers some surprisingly good musical scores and environmental art. It's a strong overall package that, while brief, was a joy to play through.

Episode 4 sets up Life is Strange 2 for a strong landing. Sean and Daniel will finally be reaching the end of their tale, whether it leads to a happy ending or not. Faith is the best episode in Life is Strange 2 since the first and holds the promise of a memorable final episode.

Newcomers to the series may not find the charm in the graphics or music, and others may balk at the price tag for this collection, especially with juggernauts like Tactics Ogre Reborn and Fire Emblem competing for attention. Still, it’s hard to argue with a collection like this. A sleek, yet imperfect presentation coupled with dozens of single and multiplayer missions make Advance Wars 1 + 2 Re-Boot Camp engaging and addictive, for veterans and new recruits alike.

Playing Bravely Default II was a truly memorable experience. Games like this just aren’t made very often any more. The flaws are very visible and your mileage will vary depending on what you value in your RPGs, but there is a great game here for fans and newcomers alike as long as you’re willing to look for it. Even with the issues noted throughout this review, Bravely Default II grabbed my attention and refused to let it go for 75 hours. It truly cemented my love for the job system.

Final Fantasy XV brings back some of what made FF special to begin with - it's bold and brave, throwing caution to the wind to try to make a statement about what big budget Japanese RPGs can be going forwards. It's rough around the edges, but that's okay: where it counts, it's got plenty of heart.

Steins;Gate Darling of Loving Vows is a charming VN that pleasantly surprised me with just how high quality it is. Its nothing groundbreaking, but if you go into it expecting a fun nostalgia trip with your favorite characters it’ll definitely deliver. The comedy made me smile, the translation is high quality, it felt great to revisit the original game with a different spin on the setting, and the characters were as just as enjoyable. Honestly, this is probably my favorite of the spin-off games, it captures the comedic spirit of Steins;Gate and doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you’re a fan, I recommend going through it. If you haven’t played Steins;Gate yet, you should definitely get on that (and then come back).

The Outer Worlds 2 is much like its predecessor in that it is a witty, smart, and energetic adventure. Its highs threaten to touch the stratosphere as easily as the protagonist's spaceship - but its lows mine as deep as some of those poor, slaving Auntie's Choice workers. From this site's more specific angle of interest, its role-playing feels more meaningful and satisfying than in its predecessor or Avowed, Obsidian's other recent action RPG. In a vacuum, it's an enjoyable romp - but no entertainment or art exists in a true vacuum, really. Just as The Outer Worlds 2's scathing commentary on consumerism and blind faith reflects on our real world, so too does our real world reflect on it at the time of its release. Like the game's moral quandaries, it's all about player choice - but in the real world, the consequences are real.

Prey may borrow heavily from its predecessors but also blends them in a way and tackles a subject that comes across as refreshing and new even if the mechanics underneath are functionally derivative. The systems in place are familiar and recognizable but the machine built from these components is new and worthwhile. In this way, Prey follows up on its own primary theme in the most straightforward way: it takes common ideas and designs but out of these ingredients, still manages to form its own unique identity.

Much of what I loved in Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo still applies in Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse. It is a compelling mystery adventure game that tones down the horror aspect of the previous entry in exchange for more involved puzzle-solving segments. I think it is also an extremely tricky game to write about in a pre-release capacity because much of its charm is wrapped up in spoiling surprises. I have a few qualms with how its story comes together in a few spots, but it is a minor blemish in an otherwise extremely great entry in the Paranormasight series again, and I hope they continue to make more in the future.