Highlight Archives

Random Encounter 292 – The Lord of All Unicorns

Posted by Jonathan Logan on March 18, 2024

On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re looking at two very different kinds of follow-ups to beloved games: a spiritual successor and a fan game. First up, we’re talking about a long-awaited revival of Ogre Battle-style SRPGs with Vanillaware’s Unicorn Overlord (the most bizarre na… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 3/17/24

Posted by Kyle Cantelon on March 17, 2024

On this edition of RPGs Coming This Week: Two next-gen heavyweights tangle with two niche titles. It’s one of the more packed weeks of the year, and I say we dispense with the pleasantries. Let’s dive in! Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery – March 19th (Windows) Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery is… Read More »

Another Crusade

Posted by Ben Love on March 16, 2024

One of the best things about indie RPGs is that they often revisit genre classic formulas with a new lens. The best indie homages update the core mechanics for modern sensibilities or place familiar mechanics in new and unique worlds with endearing characters, free from the restrictions of massive p… Read More »

Crest of Flames

Posted by Greg Delmage on March 15, 2024

Fire Emblem’s legacy is long but relatively new to audiences in North America. That exposure is largely due to Super Smash Bros. Melee showcasing some of the series’ heroes and some of the stellar soundtracks. Moving ahead to more recent entries, 2019’s Fire Emblem: Three Houses … Read More »

Retro Encounter 408 – Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Spoilercast

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 14, 2024

The real Infinite Wealth was the friends we made along the way. Ichiban Kasuga returns in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku 8 in Japanese), teaming up with former Like a Dragon protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in a wild turn-based open-world RPG set in both Japan and Hawaii. Four RPGFan st… Read More »

Frosthaven Board Game Review

Posted by Jerry Williams on March 13, 2024

Campaign-based, cooperative board games like Gloomhaven have been around for several years, with famous series like Descent leading the genre. Once Gloomhaven hit the market in 2017, it dominated the #1 spot on BoardGameGeek.com’s list of highest-rated board games voted by users until last year, now… Read More »

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light

Posted by Scott MacDonald on March 12, 2024

I’ve committed a cardinal gaming sin: I haven’t played Bravely Default. I know! Two sentences in, and I’ve devastated my gamer credibility about as severely as Bahamut nukes an unprepared party with Megaflare. I thought about playing it, but then the Internet (and my insistent husband) suggested I s… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 129 – Level One: RPG Beginnings

Posted by Mike Salbato on March 11, 2024

Previously on Rhythm Encounter, we have talked about some important first impressions, namely some of our favorite intro themes, and even title screen music. But what happens next is just as important: the opening hours of an RPG can really set the stage for what’s to come. When thinking about our f… Read More »

Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story

Posted by Neal Chandran on March 10, 2024

As a child of the 1980s, I spent my youth watching The Smurfs, Snorks, Fraggle Rock, and other assorted programs featuring communities of fantasy beings in imaginative worlds. By that line of thinking, my childhood self would have liked Yordles — a race of adorable, vividly colored, magical beings f… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 3/10/24

Posted by Gio Castillo on March 10, 2024

On this edition of RPGs Coming This Week: a new mystery game and a bevy of ports. Not the biggest bag of loot, but we still take those. Let’s get into it! Death Trick: Double Blind – March 12th (Switch, Windows, macOS) Need a mystery game heavy on the intrigue? Death Trick: Double Blind may hit just… Read More »

Unicorn Overlord

Posted by Joshua Lindquist on March 8, 2024

To say that the announcement of Unicorn Overlord left me in complete disbelief would be an understatement. Vanillaware announcing any new game is exciting. The first moments of the Unicorn Overlord reveal trailer made me wonder what type of game they were announcing. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim was a su… Read More »

Retro Encounter 407 – Dragon Age II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 7, 2024

Can you SMELL what the Hawke is cooking? Dragon Age II had a mixed critical reception back in March of 2011, so we’re giving it a fresh perspective in March of 2024. Today’s Retro Encounter panel makes an exodus to Kirkwall to determine how they feel about DA2’s excellent characters… Read More »

Zoria: Age of Shattering

Posted by Mark Roddison on March 7, 2024

Over the last five years, turn-based RPG fans have been blessed with a range of options on PC. The recent commercial and critical success of Baldur’s Gate 3 has shifted the genre back to the mainstream, with many gamers keen to explore similar offerings. Tiny Trinket Games developed their single-pla… Read More »

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy

Posted by Niki Fakhoori on March 6, 2024

We shine a spotlight onto the things we love to display them to the world. We show them off in hopes that others can see the same great features we see in them. But light also reveals imperfections, the hairline cracks and subtle chips that may otherwise have gone entirely unnoticed before. In this… Read More »

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Hands-On Preview

Posted by Scott Clay on March 5, 2024

Thanks to the people at Capcom, I recently had the privilege of checking out a preview build of the upcoming Dragon’s Dogma 2. Like many, I was very surprised when Capcom announced Dragon’s Dogma 2 in 2022, because it was a game I never expected to get a sequel. After playing this demo, I am glad it… Read More »

Yukar From The Abyss

Posted by Audra Bowling on March 5, 2024

In ancient times, a myriad of gods visited the mortal realm, bestowing their blessings upon devoted humans. Humanity forgot about the gods and their gifts, resulting in the disenchantment of many of the gods who left the mortal world behind for good. Only a few gods remain, with varying views on hum… Read More »

The Thaumaturge

Posted by Mark Roddison on March 4, 2024

Sometimes after a long, hard week at work or home, all we want to do is kick back and relax with a quick game session: maybe a few runs on Slay the Spire or a few rounds on Persona grinding for that next creature fusion. Other times, the idea of a meaty, involved RPG narrative is just what’s needed.… Read More »

Random Encounter 291 – Let’s Explore a Mystery Dungeon!

Posted by Jonathan Logan on March 4, 2024

On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re taking a look at a long-running RPG series that has only made sporadic, but noteworthy, appearances here in the West! Mystery Dungeon began as a Dragon Quest IV spinoff back in 1993, but since then, there have been dozens of games in the seri… Read More »

Retro Encounter Final Thoughts – Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

Posted by Michael Sollosi on March 3, 2024

Michael Sollosi When I played Dragon Quest XI in 2018 I was awestruck. Everything from the game’s expressive monster animations to the snappy turn-based combat to the fairy tale story was pure, distilled Dragon Quest, but in a modern presentation so gorgeous I could scarcely believe it. But would my… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 3/3/24

Posted by Gio Castillo on March 3, 2024

On this edition of RPGs Coming This Week: diversity! From SRPGs to CRPGs, most niches will get something good this week. Let’s get into it! The Thaumaturge – March 4th (Windows) Since The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, I’ve craved more games based on Slavic culture and folklore. The Thaumaturge looks like it… Read More »

No Rest for the Wicked Preview

Posted by Jerry Williams on March 2, 2024

When playing the tear-jerking, award-winning Ori and the Blind Forest, did you think, “Okay, cool, but what I’d love to see what these guys could do with a Soulslike”? Me neither, but that’s what we’ve got here. After making two outstanding Metroidvanias, the devs likely wanted to stretch their legs… Read More »

Under the Castle

Posted by Tim Rattray on March 2, 2024

You may or may not remember the Playdate, game publisher Panic’s 2022 foray into the boutique handheld space identifiable by its crank-based control scheme. The console didn’t hold the spotlight for long thanks to its niche nature, but its humble origins have since flourished into a space for indepe… Read More »

MILK BAR: An EDM Tribute to Majora’s Mask

Posted by Greg Delmage on March 1, 2024

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask offers incredible source material for musicians to play with, and gosh, have they over the years. Koji Kondo’s work on this poignant entry in the series continues to evoke feelings of joy, pain, mystery, triumph, and more to this day. So it’s no shock that MILK BAR… Read More »

Afterimage

Posted by Dom Kim on February 29, 2024

As someone who greatly enjoys Metroidvanias as a whole despite the recent massive oversaturation of the genre, the details of every release keep me from getting burned out. While the broad strokes of every title might follow a common blueprint, it’s the individual flourishes that keep releases fresh… Read More »

Retro Encounter 406 – Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on February 29, 2024

If I could turn back time / If I could find a way Four RPGFan staff played through Dragon Quest XI this month, and it left them full of feelings. But were those feelings satisfying or wanting? How did they find DQ11’s notorious third act? Spoiler alert: this is a wonderful video game, despite what o… Read More »

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