• Review

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (Switch 2)

Hey there, sports fans. I have played a sports videogame before; my first was Baseball for the Nintendo Game Boy, a remarkable game for its time because it let you simulate playing baseball outside, you know, where they play baseball and stuff. But this isnโ€™t a review of Baseball on the Nintendo Gamโ€ฆ Read More »
  • Review

TR-49

โ€œBut how can a novel…be fake?โ€ my friend astutely pointed out as I was trying to explain the premise behind inkleโ€™s TR-49. Because the authors never existed? No, there are plenty of instances of pen names and disputed authorship. Because there were no records of these books outside one instance buโ€ฆ Read More »
  • Review

Angeline Era

As a longtime fan of the Ys series, Iโ€™ve often wondered what Ys would look like had it kept the archaic yet charming bump-combat system that defined Ys Books I&II. This bump combat arose when games were more minimal in their presentation and limited in scope; in adapting to the changing times anโ€ฆ Read More »

Sea of Stars Coming to iOS & Android in Early April

Playdigious and developer Sabotage Studios have announced that Sea of Stars will release for iOS and Android devices on April 7th. The port will have revamped controls exclusive to the mobile version of Sea of Stars. Additionally, Playdigious has also confirmed that it will launch with cloud saves,โ€ฆ Read More »

Bel’s Fanfare Brings 3D Exploration, Bullet Hell Battles, & More; Kickstarter Goes Live on Feb 3rd

Developer Chibig has announced their next game in Bel’s Fanfare, an exploratory RPG experience that fuses bullet-hell style combat and shipboard secrets. As part of the announcement, Chibig revealed the short and stylish teaser trailer below. Bel’s Fanfare – Announcement Teaser As seen at the end ofโ€ฆ Read More »

Random Encounter 339 – 2025 Year in Review

In our first Random Encounter of 2026, we’re taking a look back at 2025! While many would describe 2025 as a mixed bag (at best), there is no disputing that it was a banner year for video games. Not only did we finally get two of the most anticipated sequels of all time in Hollow Knight: Silksong anโ€ฆ Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 1/18/26

Hello RPG fans with an eye on the future! We have another week that is small on quantity of releases, but high on quality and content. For many, the Switch 2 (and Xbox) release of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is the star this week, as we all look forward to seeing how Cloud’s remade adventureโ€ฆ Read More »
  • Feature

Final Fantasy: Moogle Bounty Mayhem

Final Fantasy: Moogle Bounty Mayhem is yet another iteration of Final Fantasy licensed board games, this one driven by cardplay. In the board game sphere, licensed properties range from all-time greats to harrowingly disappointing. A good intellectual property does not guarantee good board game desiโ€ฆ Read More »

Deltarune Chapter 5 Expected to Release in 2026

Undertale reached its 10-year milestone in 2025, but the gameโ€™s expanded universe continues to thrive.ย Undertaleโ€™s spinoff title, Deltarune, has released four chapters to date, including Chapters 3 & 4 in 2025. The next installment, Deltarune: Chapter 5, is planned for a 2026 release. Creator anโ€ฆ Read More »
Music Review

Final Fantasy IV Original Sound Version

Final Fantasy IV’s OST brings together the game’s 44 tracks across almost an hour of music. This is my first time hearing the soundtrack in full outside of playing the game, and I’ve found it a great listen both from a purely musical perspective and from its ability to trigger reminiscences of my tiโ€ฆ Read More »

Obsidian Moon Brings Detective Work & Danger Together in New Demo

Lost Moon Games has released a demo for Obsidian Moon, its text-based detective adventure, for PC via Steam. The demo is part of the Steam Detective Fest, celebrating a wide array of investigative-themed titles. A new trailer for Obsidian Moon was also released, showcasing its text-based gameplay, sโ€ฆ Read More »

Avowed Coming to PlayStation 5 Alongside Anniversary Update

Avowed is getting a new update and a new platform.  Obsidian Entertainmentโ€™s fantasy action RPG was released for Xbox consoles and PC on February 18th, 2025. One year later, on February 17th, the game will drop on Sonyโ€™s flagship console. At the same time, a free โ€œAnniversary Updateโ€ patch is cโ€ฆ Read More »

Retro Encounter 477 – 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Part II

I love you, and that’s why I gotta listen to Retro Encounter. On this week’s episode of Retro Encounter, we chat about the twisty, turny second half of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Do all the plot points land? Who was our favorite character? Is there actually a reason they’re naked in the Sentinels? Lisโ€ฆ Read More »
  • Review

The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon

Those valiantly keeping up with The Legend of Heroes: Trails series have long been anticipating the finale of the multi-faceted, interconnected grand saga thatโ€™s arguably Falcomโ€™s magnum opus. As the Republic of Calvard begins preparations to journey into space (the final frontier) for the first timโ€ฆ Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 174 – Music of the Year 2025

Well hello there, and yes, it is time for a super-sized episode of Rhythm Encounter to celebrate many of the excellent RPG soundtracks, arrangements, and more from 2025. That’s right, it’s Music of the Year 2025 time! With four panelists who each brought on three songs, this is certainly our longestโ€ฆ Read More »

Square Enix Reveals Dragon Quest 40th Anniversary Logo

Square Enix has revealed the official logo for the 40th anniversary of the Dragon Quest franchise. The logo itself highlights the cute and iconic Blue Slime, a mainstay monster and mascot since the series’ start in 1986.ย  The announcement came via the series’ official social media, with the added prโ€ฆ Read More »

Atlus Teases Persona 30th Anniversary Updates Through 2026

Atlus has unveiled a Persona 30th anniversary website to celebrate its most popular series and promised updates throughout the year. It showcases original artwork by longtime Atlus artist Shigenori Soejima, fusing all of the previous series protagonists in a stylish tableau. A new teaser trailer forโ€ฆ Read More »

Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass Brings Its Dream to Consoles February 5th

Electric Airship and developer Starseed Games have announced that the upcoming console port for Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass will release on February 5th for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. The announcement was made via an official Bluesky post, alongside a new trโ€ฆ Read More »

Trails beyond the Horizon Drops Story Recap Trailer Ahead of Worldwide Release

The latest installment in Nihon Falcomโ€™s Trails series, The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon, is set to release internationally on January 15th. This sequel to 2022โ€™s Trails Through Daybreak II was released in Japan last September. In anticipation of the worldwide release, publisher NIS Aโ€ฆ Read More »

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance Now Available Via Switch 2

Nintendo recently added Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance to the GameCube library, which is exclusively accessible to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members via Switch 2. For those who want to check out the seriesโ€™ first jump into 3D turn-based combat, players need to make sure their subscriptiโ€ฆ Read More »

Life is Strange: Reunion Gets PEGI Rating

Europe’s video game age rating authority PEGI has rated a new Life is Strange title called Life is Strange: Reunion. While this rating doesnโ€™t officially confirm the next title yet, the rating description below shares information related to the events of the first, beloved Life is Strange, releasedโ€ฆ Read More »

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Surges Above 1 Million Sales

Square Enix has announced that seminal strategy RPG remaster Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles has sold one million shipped and digital units as of December 31st, 2025. The announcement was made via the game’s Japanese Twitter account, accompanied by a press release. It includes words frโ€ฆ Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 1/11/26

After several weeks off, RPGs Coming This Week is back! It’s not so much that we were taking a holiday break so much as it was most publishers were doing so. But that changes this week, with a varied lineup featuring an otome visual novel with wild character names, a perspective-shifting, retro-stylโ€ฆ Read More »
  • Episodic Review

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Patch 7.4 – Into the Mist

In my past Final Fantasy XIV reviews, Iโ€™ve often been a little more critical of the fourth patch following an expansion. Coming off of the second climax in the third patch, the story in the fourth patch slows down as the game starts laying the groundwork for the next expansion. This can sometimes meโ€ฆ Read More »
Music Review

Final Fantasy III Original Sound Version

In summer 2000, at the young age of 16, I wrote an embarrassingly terse review of the Final Fantasy III soundtrack. Granted, everything about this entry in the acclaimed series seemed novel at the time, given its lack of official localization (until the DS version release in 2006). But there was, anโ€ฆ Read More »
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