Even if you never had any intention of returning to Xenoblade 3 after clearing the game, much like I had, Future Redeemed is more than a compelling enough reason to pick up the Expansion Pass to gain access to it. Part of me wishes it could have gotten a standalone phyiscal release like Torna did, but understanding all of the baggage attached I can't exactly say it was the wrong decision to keep it shackled to Xenoblade 3's DLC. In a year as stacked as 2023 has been, it might have been hard for it to stand out - but nevertheless, Future Redeemed remains one of the best RPGs of the year, and any Xenoblade fan on the fence should make an effort to play it.

Lunacid felt like a revalation of what sort of games we could receive if developers opted to borrow from more than just Dark Souls, by looking back at some of From Software's earlier titles. It's proof that games like King's Field can and should be lauded just as much as the games that came after; and, indeed, that these esoteric experiences still have a place in today's gaming landscape. Lunacid was one of my best surprises of the year, and it gives me hope that others might follow in its footsteps. While not without its faults, Lunacid is an RPG well worth setting aside time for.

I really enjoyed my short but sweet time with Small Saga, of about seven hours, with my only disappointment being the lack of any difficulty without having to intentionally handicap myself. That and the Australian possum saying “yall” instead of “youse”. It’s a great little game filled with nice visuals, and mostly funny writing although the tone becomes less humorous further on. If you want a pint-sized adventure to enjoy with a similar-sized beverage, Small Saga is one to play.

Silent Hope is a decent budget title that can scratch your itch for a quick action RPG. If Diablo IV's price is a bit too steep to pull the trigger on and you want a quick fix, Silent Hope will satisfy you. While Silent Hope's light story and simple gameplay may not be the most exciting, it's a charming game that can still hook you with its gameplay loop.

If you’re a person who maybe saw an antagonistic meme once about “quirky indie rpg about depression” and decided to make hating those your entire personality, move on — there’s nothing for you here. But if you’re willing to engage with content about mental health seriously, and explore the concepts of life, death, what what it would actually feel like to be trapped in a loop, forcing your friends and family to do certain tasks repeatedly — then you’ll find a thought-provoking and well-written story within In Stars and Time.

The fanciful and memorable cast of characters, locations, and story are what made the original release so timeless and beloved by fans the world over, and Super Mario RPG recaptures that magic for a new generation. While some changes made to the game may not land for longtime fans of the game, myself included, we will always have the original. This Super Mario RPG remake easily stands on its own as a wonderful retelling of a classic that I can see serving as a gateway into the genre for younger players for years to come.

At the end of the day, Persona 5 Tactica is a solid game, with some unique ideas for the Tactical RPG genre; if you're a huge fan of Persona 5 and have been interested in getting into these types of games then you could do far worse than starting here, but part of me is disappointed that despite the game's strong start, that ultimately Tactica fails to follow-up on its most fascinating quirks. It's a good game, but with just that extra push it very easily could have been a great one. Maybe P-Studio will revisit the concept in the future - and I hope they will.

If you really enjoyed Tales of Arise's cast or combat, then you may come away from Beyond The Dawn satisfied, as there are certainly more battles and banter. But stale questing, trite plotting, and thin content overall mostly left me apathetic more than anything else.

If there was a succinct way to sum up Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, it’d be a celebration of Kiryu’s legacy. There are subtle callbacks of his past adventures that don’t intrude on the central themes and internal struggles that he faces as the title connects the past to the present. While it may not be his grandest adventure, Like A Dragon Gaiden sets an important milestone for the Dragon of Dojima. We’ll meet him again in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but Gaiden establishes an essential foundation and roadmap in what’s next for this legendary character.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R has brought a cult classic into a new era. It’s been thoughtfully retooled, but it’s still packed with all the heart and soul of the original. Graphically, it’s gorgeous. It still sounds sublime, subjective song preferences aside, and the new quests and features range from fair to fabulous. It’s one of my favorite video games in even finer form.

Little Goody Two Shoes has no problem putting Elise through the ringer on her dark mission, and it does so with aplomb. The game’s intense story stands on the shoulders of a razor-sharp presentation and demanding yet satisfying gameplay loop. Elise might be damning her soul to an eternity of torment, but it’s the player who is about to embark on one hell of a ride.

I wanted to praise Front Mission 2: Remake for being the superior sequel to Front Mission 1st: Remake that it ought to have been. Instead, I’m left with a game that, due in large part to its dry, flavorless, and commonly confusing wordage, trades in some of the boring simplicities of that adventure for moments of head-scratching bewilderment.

I went into Dark Envoy curious about the title, but I came away apathetic and annoyed. There are some interesting class & skill systems in place, but tedious encounter design, a sluggish narrative, forgettable characters, and a multitude of performance issues, all make this title a difficult RPG to recommend.

Despite the narrative not fully coming together in the end, as well as some repetitive gameplay structure, Crymachina manages to be a compelling RPG. It's possibly my favorite FuRyu title to date, and certainly one of the more interesting ones. Regardless of its uneven nature and short duration, I think it may leave a lasting impression on me - at least a little bit.

I enjoyed my time with Detective Pikachu Returns, in spite of its lackluster presentation and mediocre meandering. Not just because of some silly scenes like the divorce mac and cheese, but because it’s Pokemon, and it’s always fun to see Pokemon living normal lives around human characters (or without). Nonetheless, Detective Pikachu Returns just isn’t a very good game, it fails to meet the presentation quality of the original despite having better hardware, and the gameplay gimmicks don’t make up for the back and forth that lack any real detective work. At the very least it should have combined the first game to make for a complete experience.

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.

Lords of the Fallen is not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. It has a well-crafted world, with interesting stories and plenty of player customization on offer. However, it’s tethered to a frustrating central mechanic that discourages exploration, the lifeblood of any Souls-like in my opinion, and falls into the trap of thinking that higher difficulty means more enemies with too much health. With some patching, this game could be extremely good, but based on its current form, I ultimately found it to be a frustrating exercise in someone copying the homework of a different game, but changing things ever so slightly — just enough for you to not notice at first glance, but with any scrutiny, noticing that it’s wrong.

I didn’t have any preconceptions about the game before experiencing it for myself, which given the changes to the game since early access is likely a good thing. The hand-holding was grating, but the overall story is good, mostly grounded, and the combat was decently balanced with every party member being viable outside of their strong connections. If you’re looking for a narrative-focused RPG that touches on modern issues, that have been long ongoing, Long Gone Days is a great option.

The Baten Kaitos games deserve better than this remaster gives them, but for new and returning players alike, it is still a great addition to any RPG fan’s Switch library. Hopefully, this collection isn’t the last we see of the Magnus-slinging series and is instead the beginning of a bright future ahead for the series.

Slightly underwhelming combat aside, it is a pretty small blemish on the face of a work that might be the best Fate game to emerge in a long while. By reframing the core context of a Holy Grail War and establishing it in a new setting and with a new, fresh cast of characters, Fate/Samurai Remnant manages to grasp and elevate the fundamentals of the Fate series in a way that makes it all approachable, while not skimping on fan service for those who’ve stuck with Fate all this time.

While the subject matter was interesting, giving a reason for such a world to exist, it just wasn’t as thought-provoking as the subtitle “An Ineffable Tale of the Inexpressible Divine Moments of Truth” might suggest, though that could simply be tongue-in-cheek. Everhood Eternity Edition allows more players to experience this tale about doing the right thing, along with more battles for those who enjoy it. I however didn’t feel the need to keep repeating the cycle, and while I found some enjoyment in the later part of the game, it didn’t hit all the right notes for me.

The only aspects I really enjoyed from Infinity Strash were its visuals, music, and spamming Popp’s spells because the game allowed me to shorten his cooldowns. Every other aspect was either lackluster, subpar, or in a few instances, downright terribly designed. I am extremely bummed out because I consider myself a big fan of The Adventure of Dai and Infinity Strash feels like it’s absurdly hamstrung because of how closely it had to be tied to the show. Hell, I even liked how well the game marked locations on the overworld map to provide Dai fans with a better look at where things occurred throughout the story. Regardless, I wouldn’t say that Infinity Strash is infinitely trash… but sometimes I got real tempted to.

If you liked previous Disgaea games — grinding your levels up to max, performing increasingly higher damaging attacks, and seeing a mass of numbers fill your screen — Disgaea 7 continues that trend and amplifies it further. Combined with genuinely funny dialogue, a pretty good story, and a customization ocean that is as deep as it is wide, you have a game that can hoover up no small amount of time out of your day. More of the same isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and Disgaea 7 proves that axiom easily.

With Cyberpunk 2077 version 2.0 and Phantom Liberty combined, the result is undeniable: this game is excellent. The original game is drastically improved, if not transformed, by the combination of the free 2.0 and paid Phantom Liberty additions. Meanwhile, Phantom Liberty itself is an all-time great expansion, taking all of the best elements of Cyberpunk 2077 and cranking them all up to eleven into an excellent stand-alone narrative in its own right. If Cyberpunk 2077 had released in this state, it might’ve been lauded as an instant classic, an all-time great - but the fact that this has arrived two years late shouldn’t detract too much from the strength of the experience.

Rune Factory 3 Special is mostly just an HD mask thrown onto a beloved entry in the series, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's been over a decade since Rune Factory 3 hit store shelves on the DS. Returning fans of the series will be delighted to play the game on upgraded hardware, and it does make a good entry point for anyone looking to experience this series for the first time. Longtime fans will likely prefer the Switch version for its original control scheme as the PC version has a couple of buttons swapped from the DS controls. For fans of farming sims or those looking for a relaxing RPG, Rune Factory 3 Special has you covered.

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails invokes a feeling of an earlier era of Falcom in some of the best ways. With a charming presentation and commendable gameplay, this is a satisfying game and an easy recommendation to anyone looking for a light-hearted action RPG romp.

Despite its unique weapon system and generally friendlier structuring, Lies of P hews a little too closely to its inspirations to rise above feeling like something of an also-ran. But even also-rans can be polished, attractive, and exciting experiences in their own right. Every time I left a successful fight with my heart rate up and a sense of actual accomplishment brimming, that felt I experienced a bit of bit of Lies of P’s own truth.

It leans on the past without being shackled to it, taking elements from the classics while adding technical flourishes to liven up the proceedings. It doesn't simply try to copy the classics or provide a facsimile of a retro experience. Instead, it recreates the experience of feeling those games, allowing us to revisit what it felt like to perceive the spectacle and grandeur for the first time. By those measures, Sea of Stars might be inspired by the classics, but it feels in league with them, too.