Combat is fun enough, but rather basic. The story isn’t anything to write home about. Then the final stretch of the game is marred by underdeveloped final areas and mandatory side-quests with poorly communicated updates. At the very least it should still leave an impact with its concept, and that’s a good thing. After all, if a game is forgotten, does it cease to exist?

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales proves HD-2D works brilliantly as the foundation for an action-adventure game. Its engaging combat, rewarding exploration, clever customization systems, and gorgeous visual presentation combine to create one of Square Enix’s strongest action-adventure games in recent years. The story may be predictable, and the enemy variety is rather lacking, but neither issue detracts from an experience that consistently rewards exploration. The Adventures of Elliot shows the HD-2D formula can thrive well beyond the realm of turn-based RPGs. If this is where the style is headed next, the future looks incredibly promising.

Ultimately, Magical Princess doesn’t reinvent the wheel on any of what it sets out to do. The game does just about everything that can be expected from it, but does so with an almost effortless grace and elegance that it’s hard to find fault in its lack of innovation. At the heart of it, Alice is just a wonderful character, and the game’s systems expertly flesh out the ideas of how while there is no right way to raise her, there are always consequences to actions. Aside from some hiccups regarding the relationship system and the combat, Magical Princess is an incredibly easy recommendation for both fans of the genre and newcomers.

Quartet is a phenomenal example of staying true to classic roots while also modernizing other aspects. There is a joy in spending time with all eight characters, and each is well fleshed out and memorable. It’s as though everything from combat to story to the game’s audiovisual clicks together perfectly, offering an experience that feels both familiar yet brand new. Despite the large number of games looking to emulate that classic RPG feel, Something Classic has successfully made old feel new again while understanding that one doesn’t need to reinvent the JRPG entirely. Quartet is a fabulous game that feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch and is absolutely worth the price and time investment, as it does nearly everything right in such a tight package.

LumenTale: Memories of Trey is a tale of two games. When everything is clicking, the combat, Animon designs, and story all feel really nice and leave a positive mark on the genre. Though the long load times make exploration feel like a chore, and hiding some features as well as evolution methods makes it get in its own way and take longer than needed. It can truly feel exciting to weave through Animon, shooting out the Holoken to catch or damage while solving puzzles, and learning about Trey’s past, but in the meantime, that quality title is buried underneath some flawed execution.

While unlikely to strike the same chord as Disco Elysium, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies is still an interesting and engrossing title. Running at around twenty hours, potentially less, for a full playthrough, there’s lots to uncover in the game, alongside a lot of scope for replayability, particularly if players spend their first attempt taking what the dice gives (and takes away from) them. How long it remains in the memory in the future remains to be seen, but its strong world-building and interactive mysteries keep players engaged in an ultimately very satisfying experience.

Performance problems and image quality issues stop the Switch 2 version from becoming the definitive way to experience Rebirth, particularly in handheld mode, where the hardware occasionally fails to keep up with the game. Even so, those issues never diminish just how remarkable the experience still is. Rebirth remains an extraordinary RPG filled with exceptional combat, an outstanding world, incredible music, and one of the strongest casts in the genre. More importantly, it succeeds at the nearly impossible task of honoring one of the most beloved RPGs ever made while carving out its own identity. Technical compromises aside, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth stands as one of the best RPGs currently available on Switch 2 and a hugely impressive new realization of a classic that already defined the genre decades ago.

Ultimately, everything hits the right chords, making for an exciting game. Mina is adorable and presented as a fun protagonist with all sorts of neat gadgets in her arsenal. The world she inhabits is full of secrets and is a ton of fun to explore. There is a timeless feel to this game, with its homage to games from yesteryear, while also pushing the boundaries of what retro enthusiasts expect from titles that look like this. Thankfully, Mina can be found on most modern consoles and is also reasonably priced. I believe Yacht Club Games hit the nail on the head with this title, and they have once again delivered an all-time classic with Mina the Hollower.

Starbites ultimately sits firmly in the middle of the RPG spectrum, never really approaching either end of it. There are plenty of enjoyable moments involving the character interactions or when the combat and exploration get into a good rhythm, but it never really takes that extra step needed to stick in the memory. Nonetheless, it’s an enjoyable enough way to spend the time, and there’s a strong base for IKINAGAMES to be able to build upon going forward.

Traysia is a relic with nothing to offer anyone, as it struggles to have an identity beyond being a piece of lost history brought back for preservation. In reality, it should have stayed lost forever.

Moonless Knight is a meal with an interesting assortment of ingredients, but they entirely fail to come together into the intended dish. The compelling Japanese-Lovecraftian fusion just cannot be executed with this rough, lazy script. It’s a failure of a Metroidvania, and it’s a bad and clunky action RPG as well, with progression mechanics that fail to synergize with the rest of the gameplay and ultimately drag the experience down even further. The experience is wholly disappointing, and Moonless Knight is simply not worth a player’s time.

It certainly isn’t a title that will gain universal appeal, but it very much finds its home in its niche and will offer those looking for an easy-to-jump-into yet strong narrative will find Arcadia Fallen II is adept at scratching that itch. While it may not be the most thrilling tale at the start and has limited ways to engage with it, there are plenty of fun moments to enjoy from the cast, and the story ultimately satisfies.

On the whole, Monster Crown: Sin Eater is a shining addition to the monster taming genre. With its diverse array of monsters at the forefront, it features a truly harrowing, cruelly immersive world full of violence and sin. While its scope and non-linear design can sometimes lead to some odd pacing and gameplay imbalance, it largely remains engaging due to its atmospheric, well-designed world, strong writing and lore, and excellent audiovisual experience. From Asur’s humble farm beginnings all the way to the heights of Meru Spire, Sin Eater provides a monstrously oppressive adventure, top-to-bottom.

Rise of the Ronin is defined by that divide. Its combat system and historical setting give it a strong foundation, with occasional moments that genuinely stand out. At the same time, its formulaic open-world design and weak character development fail to build on those strengths. RPGamers should expect a game that offers rewarding combat and an engaging setting, weighed down by a predictable structure, pacing issues, and an incoherent story.

Adol Christin embodies adventure, and even with amnesia, there’s a fun cast of characters and enjoyable combat surrounding him to carry through its thirty-hour length. Pacing issues do slow things down at the beginning, but once the story starts hitting that next gear, everything ramps up to match that enjoyably brisk pace. There are nitpicks that drag it down from being something truly special, but there’s a perfectly serviceable action adventure in Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta. The story of Adol continues, and this outing will keep players interested in seeing where the winds take him next.

Aether & Iron is the sort of game I like to see exist. It populates a novel setting with an interesting cast of characters and uses them to build upon a solid gameplay structure, while trying out plenty of its own ideas. There are definitely flaws within, but despite these, it’s ultimately a very enjoyable game to play through, and I would be very happy to continue Gia Randazzo’s story in the future.

Etrange Overlord has a lot of qualities to enjoy. The narrative is fun if a bit nonsensical and predictable, the characters are a blast, and the musical numbers are a nice touch that distinguishes it from its contemporaries. Unfortunately, the lack of a great combat core combined with monotonous gameplay makes the game ultimately difficult to recommend.

On the whole, Hades II delivers a truly great action roguelike experience, buoyed by strong, exciting combat. It remains addictive across multiple runs, even with poor Boon balance, keeping combat artificially elongated. This is achieved through engaging combat and a compelling story that motivates players to learn more about the characters and world. Its outstanding visuals and fun, immersive audio also make it a treat for the eyes and ears. Trudging through the depths of hell has never been more exciting, and as someone fairly new to roguelikes, I found myself pleasantly surprised at just how engaging Hades II can be.

Sporting a relatively short runtime of fifteen to twenty hours, Pragmata doesn’t overstay its welcome and is a briskly paced adventure that does everything a game needs to do. Its bold and stunning presentation and smart, compact level design make it so fun to navigate. Hugh and Diana have a truly wonderful, organic, and beautiful relationship, evident not only in the sturdy – if sometimes predictable – plot but also in its exceptional hybrid combat system, where facing down and overcoming hordes of AI bots feels incredibly rewarding, further fueling their bond. Pragmata proves that when you shoot for the moon, you land amongst the stars.

It all adds up to a game that’s more commendable on paper than in its execution. GreedFall: The Dying World is an ambitious title by a smaller developer that tells a story from a perspective not often seen in the medium. A story about the horrors of colonization, not to mention told from the point of view of the colonized, is a laudable endeavor. But there isn’t much about the game that makes it a fun outing. Characters lack personality, and it’s entirely up to the player to seek it out where it exists, combat is an overly complex mess of options layered on a foundation made for brute-forcing, and both presentation and technical optimization are in need of fine-tuning. With the change away from the more action-oriented combat being a questionable one, fans of the previous installment may still be on board for another chance to visit the world of Teer Fradee, while all others may want to miss the boat this time around.

I haven’t played an Obsidian game in a long while, and I have to say that in terms of characters, storytelling, and worldbuilding, I felt right at home with everything that was happening throughout Avowed‘s modest runtime. Even with the uninspired combat and the performance issues, I found myself constantly wanting to explore the Living Lands, make potentially life-altering decisions that could affect the world, and steal Marius’ snacks for good measure. Avowed does a fabulous job of keeping players on their toes while also weaving stories that make players want to see everything through to the end. While Avowed has some blemishes, there is a lot to love in this world, and I want to see more of it.

People of Note excels in both of its main promises: it’s a highly entertaining musical and an incredibly tight turn-based RPG. With its solid gameplay structure, it’s clearly tuned in to what makes for outstanding combat, doing quite a lot to distinguish itself and make it interesting. Meanwhile, its jamming musical style, strong cast, excellent puzzles, and musically colorful world layer on top of the turn-based structure to create something so refreshingly original, fun, and passionate. People of Note is overflowing with love for both RPGs and music, pulling out all the stops and blowing the roof off the venue in the process.

While I have been lucky enough to not lose a loved one to tragedy, Omori still managed to make me feel the despair of losing someone cherished, and the powerless feeling of being able to do nothing to bring them back was replicated perfectly. The game tackles the idea of acceptance and escapism beautifully, and when the credits rolled, I did not move for a while. It is one of those persistent games that follows players even after putting the controller down. I think about it more than I expected to; it creeps in at night before I sleep, and whenever I come across a screenshot or hear the name, something in me just recalls the weight of it immediately. People process loss in completely different ways and at completely different speeds, and Omori never pretends otherwise. What makes it so remarkable is that it does not ask players to have lived through something specific to feel it. It just asks for attention. And with attention, Omori will find something in players to pull on regardless of what their lives look like.

Pokémon Pokopia is a worthy spin-off that breathes new life into the series. With a refreshing narrative and an incredibly engaging world, the game flourishes with its bold direction and diligent execution. It’s hard to believe that this is the series’ first foray into life simulation games because of how snugly the game fits. Between making sure my Pokémon residents are as happy as they can be and stopping to smell the roses, I have been too busy living my best Poké life to miss Pokémon battles.

Thysiastery is a simple title at heart. The roguelike dungeon crawling always has a sense of random luck in mind that can cause a lingering frustration due to how easily a party can be defeated. This frustration can give way to a pleasant surprise when weak party members strive farther than expected, or when that next treasure chest or merchant visit changes everything for the better. The quick-paced combat is always fun to dive into, and the amount of skills gives plenty of viable variety to tinker with in party composition. Charging blindly is not a usual feeling for the typical first-person turn-based dungeon crawler, but the easy replayability found here makes it exciting to explore all the possibilities, and despite a decent amount of trial and error it is a worthwhile chance to take for fans of roguelikes and dungeon crawlers alike.

WiZman’s World premiered sixteen years ago as a mid-tier DS title with a simple plot and dense monster fusion system, and not much has changed in the interim. This remastered edition is an improvement in most metrics of graphics and sound, but the core of the game remains the same. It is crunchy and combat-driven, with narrative as an afterthought, and it makes no apologies about that. It is, was, and shall remain a mid-tier JRPG, but sometimes that’s just what an RPGamer needs. To anyone looking for a game that lets them tune out and wreck monsters without high drama attached, it’s certainly worth a look-see.

As a full tome, Ariana and the Elder Codex has quite a lot of potential, but among its genre and the RPG landscape as a whole, it doesn’t stand out too starkly on the shelf. While it has some charming visuals, lore, and some good voice acting, its gameplay and story are only ever serviceably engaging, and predictable twists and excessive endgame lore dumping dull the adventure. While I found myself thoroughly charmed by the characters and having a decent time, the uneven exploration and easy moment-to-moment combat left the game feeling devoid of the substance it’s obviously capable of. If players are looking for a short, fifteen-hour light adventure with some nice charm, Ariana is not a bad pickup at all, but it doesn’t do enough to warrant a top spot on RPGamer’s reading lists.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection doesn’t aim to completely reinvent what’s been established in the previous two entries in the series. Instead, it smartly tweaks and iterates on what worked and what didn’t work to create a much more refined and enjoyable monster-catching experience. The story touches on more serious subjects, and keeps things moving along well, even if it lacks the depth it could have. Combat is plenty of fun, with individual battles having more impact and much of the tedium of the previous series entries cleaned up, but exploring and collecting monsters is a blast, and having available non-battle activities for monsters makes it all the more exciting to go out and find new ones. Fans of collecting monsters and min/maxing their team will have almost an endless supply of tweaking to play around with. Any fan of Monster Hunter or Pokémon-like games should not pass on this one.