It’s been a monumental year for RPGs, if not one of the best ever. I say this to make clear that it’s no small feat there was a single frontrunner for me despite the steepest of competition.
The RPG (of the Year) That Delivered on My Dreams
It’s Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Like, oh my god, for me this game is the total realization not only of Final Fantasy VII’s world but also what an RPG can be. I don’t feel the need to take up your time espousing the virtues of this game, though; I wager most of RPGFan’s audience have already cemented their opinions on it already.
The Remake That Has Been Forgotten Amidst Fantasy
It’s Persona 3 Reload.
Returning to the Iwatodai Dormitory and reuniting with my fellow SEES members was the epitome of a cliché warm blanket. It reinforces the moodier tone that makes Persona 3 a standout entry to the franchise while bringing nearly everything about it up to modern standards. This allowed the game to feel as fresh as it did familiar. The gap in time between playing Persona 3 Portable on my PlayStation Vita in 2012 and this second outing allowed me to forget sufficient small details that I was surprised by them all over again, only this time with the added context of fully animated scenes. Plus, the Persona flavor of the Press Turn combat system is in its best form yet.
I love Metaphor: ReFantazio as much as the next Atlus fan, but I do wish its dominance on end-of-year lists didn’t preclude a nod to Persona 3 Reload (or even Unicorn Overlord, while we’re at it). There’s room for more than one Atlus RPG in these halls!
Speaking of great RPGs not getting their end-of-year dues, this next one never really got its dues at all.
The RPG That Should’ve Been a Bigger Hit
It’s Arco.
Arco has its flaws and rough edges—I made that much clear in my otherwise positive review—but at the end of the day, it’s a singular entity in the RPG space that deserved more attention than it got. A Mesoamerican fantasy that follows multiple intersecting, affecting storylines as each cast crosses through rough terrain and hostile territories, with the backdrop of evocative landscapes and a culturally authentic soundtrack? And it’s also an awesome strategy RPG that captures the essence of fast-paced, gun-slinging standoffs? If anything I just said piques your interest, you’ve gotta check Arco out. It’s one of the most unique and memorable RPGs I’ve played in some time.
Speaking about reviews I wrote this year, what’s also noteworthy is what I was doing between them.
The “I Started Final Fantasy XIV This Year” Award
It’s Final Fantasy XIV. (Please excuse the redundancy for the sake of a bit.)
Early this year, I hesitantly started my journey into Eorzea. After quitting World of Warcraft the better part of a decade ago, I swore never to touch an MMO again, but enough people called this the best Final Fantasy story to date that I had to try it. Once I got through the sludge of early leveling, I fell in love with the game’s cast through the final chapters of A Realm Reborn and was subsequently gripped by Heavensward’s best-ever depiction of dragoons (oh, did I feel vindicated for picking that class). And most of all, I went on misadventures with Hildibrand, which to me is actually the game’s main plot.
The back half of this year got increasingly busy for me in terms of game releases and life, which has put Final Fantasy XIV on the back burner a bit. I’m slowly chipping my way through Stormblood (I’m guestimating myself to be 70% of the way through) and can’t wait to keep my adventure going in 2025. Maybe I’ll even manage to catch up to Dawntrail! But that will depend on how long these other games take me.
There Were Too Many Dang RPGs So I’ll Play These In 2025
It’s… too many games.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is the big one I regret not being able to complete in time for end-of-year lists. I’ve put enough time into the game to know it’s absolutely phenomenal (not surprising since I’m its target audience; see my Persona 3 Reload ravings), but life hasn’t afforded me the chance to give it the undivided attention it deserves. That will change very soon.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is a frustrating one to have missed, as I’d been looking forward to it for years. There are a good few Dragon Quest games I love (IV, V, VIII, XI), so I’m sure that III will be right up my alley once I get around to it. And frankly, I need to give it a play to honor Akira Toriyama, who made this franchise possible.
And finally, there’s Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis -The Answer- which I had a chance to demo thanks to the folks at SEGA, but not time to properly play given how closely it released to Metaphor. Since I never played Persona 3 FES, this is entirely new content to me, though I may give Press Turn combat a bit of space before returning so that it feels fresh again.
