There are several similarities between Final Fantasy V and its younger sibling, Final Fantasy III. Chiefly of which, both games stayed exclusively in Japan well after the series moved on to the PlayStation in the mid-90s. For a time, Square Enix (formally SquareSoft) was uncertain if western audiences would grasp the deeper gameplay mechanics that drove character growth. But after the global success of Final Fantasy VII, they decided it was time to start bridging the gap in sequels in the US lineup. As a result, Final Fantasy V was the first to be released as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology compilation on the PlayStation in 1999.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of Final Fantasy IV. Originally released on July 19, 1991, it was a momentous event due in no small part to the fact that this was the first in the series to debut on the Super Famicom. It was released to critical acclaim, and once again several months later when it came to the US on the Super Nintendo as Final Fantasy II (since we missed the first two sequels on the NES). Unfortunately, I didn’t get to play it until a decade later, when it was re-released as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles. And although I was late experiencing my first 16-bit RPG, it was undoubtedly worth the wait.

Remember that silly old trope in teen movies where the nerdy “plain Jane” character magically becomes super attractive just by removing her glasses? It was a bit like that with EarthBound- an RPG that was largely ignored when released on the Super NES in its twilight years. Nintendo’s ill-conceived ad campaign telling the player that “this game stinks” didn’t do it any favors either. The game’s overtly humorous kid-friendly facade was unusual for its time and quickly written off as ugly and boring by all but the most accepting of RPG fans. But thanks to the positive praise in gaming forums years later, it picked up steam and eventually became lauded as one of the best on the Super NES. Much like the bespectacled character in every 90s teen comedy, it was as if EarthBound removed its glasses. Nothing was different about it- just our perception of what was already there.

As much as I love games, I dread the hours it takes to get over the hump of one that’s new and unfamiliar. When I finally get over it, I hope that I didn’t waste those hours on a game I won’t keep playing. So when I fired up Disgaea 1 Complete for the Nintendo Switch I wasn’t sure what to expect. Even though it’s been fifteen years since the game’s initial release, it was still a new and unfamiliar title for me. Thankfully, I’m glad to say that the hours spent getting over that initial hump were worth it.

One of my favorite things about playing strategy/role playing games is the sense of satisfaction that comes from executing on a well-laid plan. The thrill of deftly maneuvering units into place for a swift and deadly strike after multiple turns of meticulous consideration is something that few games deliver. I love strategy/RPGs, and I was excited to tear into Valkyria Chronicles 4; a return to form of sorts for a series held in high regard by a rabid fanbase, and a franchise I have little experience with. Sadly, instead of tearing into this game because I couldn’t get enough, I will now need to tear into this bizarre title that not only doesn’t reward sound strategy but does everything in its power to undermine player agency.

South Park: The Stick of Truth triumphed over adversity to become a critical and commercial success. It was a gamble on a franchise that had never had a great game, went through a protracted development cycle, and survived the closing of its original publisher. Three years later South Park: The Fractured but Whole may not have had as many roadblocks, but it is a sequel to a surprise hit being developed by a different team and attempting to be just as successful as its predecessor. While it may not reach the heights that The Stick of Truth hit, this is a worthy sequel.

Child of Light is the video game equivalent of a children’s bedtime storybook. It’s full of beautiful artwork and whimsical characters. It lights a spark and captures your imagination. Then it starts to put you to sleep.

A downloadable demo for the highly anticipated 3DS RPG, Bravely Default, hit the eShop last week and Travis, JD, and Julian put some hours into it before convening to discuss what they thought. Find out how we felt about the demo and what we now expect out of the full game in our roundtable discussion.

Argue all you want about which RPG has the best characters and story, but neither of those things matter nearly as much as a game’s battle system. Since we typically spend upwards of forty hours in an RPG, the bulk of that time is spent fighting foes within the rule set the designers created, so it has to be compelling enough to keep pulling us along. Sometimes, a combat system is formulated with just the right amount of intricacy, a satisfying splash of spectacle, and exactly what was needed to get in our heads and keep us plugging away until we save the world on the brink of decimation. We’ve picked our favorite RPG battle systems and wanted to explain why we love them so dearly. Maybe you’ll gain an appreciation for a combat system you felt was a drag or you’ll decide to dig into a game you never tried before. Maybe you’ll think we’re daft and forgot the real greatest system around. We’re bound to have a big assortment of faves, so read through our picks and tell us what yours is too.

With over two decades of experience making games and a record of being independent before indie games were a trend in the gaming world, Spiderweb Software is the hardcore for the hardcore.  Makers of such classic series as Geneforge, Avernum, and now Avadon, the company focuses on old school RPG experiences that most publishers and developers have abandoned..  While they primarily focus on the PC and Mac platforms, they recently experimented with mobile development, releasing Avadon and Avernum to iOS and Android with stunning success.  It seems classic games are classic no matter what system they’re played on. 

I don’t know about you, but I always have a tough time getting through E3 without squealing with glee at the thought of so much gaming goodness coming in the next year. The  bigger the E3, the bigger the squeal, and this year I’ve almost gone hoarse. With so many amazing games on the horizon for both current and next gen, it’s tough to focus on favorites. However, everything shown about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt tickles me in a way that few games do.

Does the world need another match-three puzzle game? Most definitely not! But, hey, Dungeon Hearts got made anyway, and it’s actually pretty cool. Conjoining a fast-paced action RPG with the heretofore played out match-three puzzle concept is a pretty slick way to innovate on two formulas we’ve had our fill of. Mixing the two together adds extra tension to the color matching bits and a real need for skill and practice in the combat.  This well balanced combo makes for an addictive puzzler that I keep coming back to even though I am terrible at it.

Having just recently completed Etrian Odyssey III, I wasn’t sure if I had it in me to dive right back into another massive adventure.  I mean, heck, I was a little worn out from all of the grinding I had been doing and wasn’t so sure I wanted to get into that again.  Well, somehow I got sucked back into this mess and am I ever grateful.  Atlus has taken the fourth Etrian Odyssey game through a monstrous evolutionary process to create the best balanced, most addictive, strategically engaging dungeon crawler around.

UPDATE: That was quick.  In only 6 hours, inXile has hit their initial $900k goal.  In an email to backers, Brian Fargo indicated that stretch goals are coming and will be posted soon.  You can read the original story as it was reported below. 

The Nintendo 3DS is getting its fair share of great looking games in 2013. With games like Luigi’s Mansion 2, Animal Crossing, and Pokemon X and Y all coming out this year, there will be plenty for 3DS owners to get their hands on. Sooner than all of those comes the niche, but respected strategy game Fire Emblem: Awakening, the latest in a long series of strategy titles exclusive to Nintendo’s consoles. What I can tell you from my hands-on with the game is that not only is there a great game on the horizon, but it might just be one of the best 3DS games yet. 

I never expected to become so enamored with a game where you inhabit the body of the hugest douche bag to ever visit the South Pacific, but it happened.  After suffering through a fairly irritating opening sequence, you eventually find that you are free to explore the Rook Islands at whatever pace you desire.  In some of my early self-paced explorations, I decided to stealthily capture an enemy outpost.  Hiding in the bushes and taking stock of what foes lay within the compound, I heard the loud roar of a tiger that charged into the outpost and slaughtered everyone inside while my knife and gun remained completely unused.  I conquered that outpost by letting the game’s systems collide and work in my favor.  These types of situations happen continuously in Far Cry 3 and whether they were to my benefit or demise, it’s always a blast to witness.  It’s these interacting systems that make Far Cry 3 a special experience that is worth playing, despite the grating narrative.

Continuing Square-Enix’s love affair with the character Lightning, a new game has been announced for consoles that focuses on her greatest and final battle.  Lightning’s powers grew beyond those of a normal human during the FF XIII-2 storyline and will continue to expand in this new game titled Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, which is set to release in 2013.  It appears that customizing Lightning’s clothing and selecting from a variety of weapons will be a big feature in what might be an action-heavy adventure.  Andriasang provided a liveblog translation of a presentation made at the Final Fantasy 25^th Anniversary Event in Shibuya where the new game was revealed.

Project X Zone may be one of the most ambitious crossover titles to date.  The strategy-RPG-fighter is poised to set iconic characters of major Japanese publishers Capcom, Namco Bandai and Sega against each other in a battle for supremacy.  With three behemoths coming together and mixing their IPs in this lovely video game soup, one begins to wonder exactly who would get developer duties on the project.  Would it be Capcom?  Namco Bandai?  Sega? 

It isn’t often you find yourself enjoying being kicked in the face, but I guess the fantasy of being a pirate has to be grounded every now and then with a harsh dose of how a world with monsters has to work, and Risen 2 has every intention of being a nasty educator. Developed by Piranha Bytes, the house that brought us the Gothic series and the first Risen, Risen 2: Dark Waters feels both familiar to its pedigree and oh-so much nastier.

Sony Computer Entertainment hasn’t exactly been a hotbed of RPGs from a development standpoint, but there was a time back in the late 90’s that the genre had the studio’s full attention.  The genre was a behemoth then, with titles regularly gracing the covers of video game publications and garnering respectable development and marketing budgets.  SCEI wished to put forth their offering and the result was the cult classic Legend of Dragoon.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES, the enhanced edition of Persona 3, will appear on Sony’s PSN as a PS2 classic tomorrow, April 10.  Our own Chessa DiMola gave the PSP version of the game very high praise in her review, so those who have been curious about Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei universe may want to check it out.

Hot on the heels of our MIA feature highlighting Crimson Skies, Jordan Weisman, co-creator of that game, as well as MechWarrior, Battletech, Mage Knight, and Hero Clicks, launched a kickstarter campaign to fund the digital return of another of his creations: Shadowrun.  The big news is that after a mere twenty eight hours, the goal of $400,000 has already been exceeded and is still rising steadily.   

There are those among you that may have no clue who Brandon Sanderson is and those of you that know him quite well.  For those of you that don’t, Sanderson is the author who has been chosen to complete Robert Jordan’s epic Wheel of Time series – a task that will be no small feat to accomplish without incurring the wrath of a particular rabid fanbase.  But Sanderson is hardly an amateur, having penned the New York Times best-selling series Mistborn.

Five years ago BioWare released Mass Effect to the world. The first game in an epic RPG trilogy with the ambitious goal of having your character’s actions and accompanying consequences carry over from game to game;  creating an ever more complex and living world quite literally shaped by the player. As a result, Mass Effect 3 is forced to undergo scrutiny for not only how it handles as a standalone game, but as a conclusion to BioWare’s half-decade efforts as well. 

The unique world of Mass Effect, put together by BioWare, is nothing short of remarkable, already being argued by people as being the most influential sci-fi universe of our generation.