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Articles by Mark Roddison
Starfinder: Afterlight Demo Impressions
Building on the decent critical and commercial success that Paizo’s rulesets found in digital adaptations like Owlcat Games’ Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous, developer Epictellers Entertainment is taking the tabletop into deep space with Starfinder: Afterlight.
Veterum Review | RPGFan
Gather your mercenaries, manage their loadout, and watch your group finances: Veterum follows as much in the wake of fantasy mercenary company RPGs as many others, including its own direct precursor. On leaving early access, the unit trait and movement-based strategy systems and a varied world of random events and scenarios do much to keep the mission afloat, even if the core narrative and visual design (as well as a few control foibles) make truly inhabiting the world difficult.
Travelling At Night Impressions
Travelling At Night exists in an era where the Disco-like is becoming pervasive. Heck, I’ve commented upon as much myself, and my fellow colleagues at RPGFan have enjoyed their fair share, many featuring a metaphysical (and often literal) thread back to the glum, glorious shores of Revachol. Recently I spent time with the beta demo of Travelling At Night, the latest game from the Cultist Simulator devs, Weather Factory.
Celestial Return
Much like its vibrant, cyber-grafted cast, Celestial Return stitches together a disparate collage of cyberpunk influences. The game bleeds the gritty attitude of Cyberpunk and Shadowrun through its dialogue and worldbuilding, echoes the internalized psychology and abstract art of Disco Elysium, and still finds room for a slick anime aesthetic in its character design and futurepunk cityscape, as well as a Citizen Sleeper-esque dice resolution system.
R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos
For decades, Irem’s R-Type series has stood the test of time thanks to its well-established shoot-’em-up credentials, complex bosses, and diverse weapon upgrades. In 2007’s R-Type Tactics, the franchise flipped this legacy on its head, swapping fast-paced action for a turn-based strategy RPG packed with Earth technology and vicious Bydo adversaries, alongside a fiendish difficulty curve.
Starbites Review | RPGFan
Remember Maya, from Shell 2? All of twenty-five years ago?! Starbites wears its lineage on its sleeve, drawing direct inspiration from cult classics like Septerra Core while navigating two decades of JRPG evolution. It delivers a distilled concentrate of everything that makes the genre beloved and occasionally frustrating. Turn-based skills, with a dedicated ‘limit break’ system? Upgradeable and craftable parts? Mechs? Characters demonstrating most tropes you’ve come across in the genre?
Nitro Gen Omega Review | RPGFan
Mechs and anime share a bond as inseparable as Saturday mornings and sugary cereal. Developer DESTINYbit leans heavily into this classic synergy with Nitro Gen Omega, a turn-based roguelike RPG oozing a specific brand of weekend magic. The game thrives on its visual flair, utilizing fluid, stylish animations to breathe life into a timeline-based combat system.
Pillars of Eternity (Turn-based)
Already considered a modern CRPG classic (and responsible for an underrated sequel and gorgeous spin-off), Pillars of Eternity has been freshened up once more with a new turn-based patch. Almost from the beginning, a decent portion of fans called for such a feature. Given the success of the turn-based approach across all manner of RPG subgenres recently, it’s gratifying to see the developers take on such a project for a decade-old game.
Dosa Divas Review | RPGFan
Cooking and RPGs aren’t something I’d usually pair, but Dosa Divas, a smaller JRPG from Outerloop Games, has tried to change my usual diet. The story of three sisters trying to come to terms with their pasts and their futures attempts to combine deep revelations with irreverent humour and whimsy. Unfortunately, the final mix of this JRPG doesn’t quite come together: the bland world design, and the sometimes-infuriating combat and recipe systems get in the way of this dosa going down smoothly.
Solasta II Early Access Review
After roughly fifteen hours with its Early Access build, it’s safe to say Solasta II is shaping up to be a better version of its predecessor. The developers have clearly invested time in refining the graphical fidelity with a shift to Unreal Engine 5, expanding the range of roleplaying systems, and aiming for a more impactful narrative.
GreedFall: The Dying World Impressions
After a lengthy stretch in Early Access, GreedFall: The Dying World has now reached its full release. During development, the project went through several iterations and even adopted a new title to more clearly position itself as a prequel to GreedFall.
Disciples: Domination
In the pantheon of high fantasy strategy RPGs, few series have clung to their roots with as much persistence as the Disciples range. Ever since Disciples: Sacred Lands launched in 1999, Nevendaar has felt like a setting perpetually stuck in the final five minutes of an apocalypse. Disciples II: Dark Prophecy arguably remains the high-water mark, while later entries, including the recent Disciples: Liberation, have struggled to add much new to the blueprint.
Disciples: Domination
Game Reviews Review Author Platform Score Disciples: Domination Microsoft Windows 79 Media Disciples: Domination Artwork 3 Photos Disciples: Domination Screenshots 35 Photos RPGFan uses cookies to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking βAcceptβ, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Kingdom of Night
From Baldur’s Gate 3 to Critical Role to Stranger Things, the resurgence of fantasy-horror rooted in the 1980s Dungeons & Dragons zeitgeist continues to deliver a mix of standout hits and inevitable misfires.
Avernum 4: Greed and Glory
The modern CRPG revival shows no sign of slowing down, and Spiderweb Software’s latest remaster keeps the momentum going. To mark the 25th anniversary of Avernum 4, founder and lead developer Jeff Vogel is revisiting the classic with an updated edition packed with new features and a refreshed interface built for modern systems. Unlike the Geneforge remaster from a year or so back, Avernum 4: Greed and Glory tells a more traditional, party-based fantasy tale.
Deep Sleep: Labyrinth of the Forsaken
A blend of turn-based combat and point-and-click adventure is something I hadn’t encountered; not until Deep Sleep: Labyrinth of the Forsaken filled that gap with a thoughtful story, solid puzzles, and a surprisingly robust combat system. It’s all wrapped in a pixel-art style, steeped in dread, and rich with tension. Deep Sleep may cast you as a dream traveler, but it often feels more like a nightmare—and that’s a very good thing.
Dice Gambit Review | RPGFan
Sometimes, a name hides far more than it suggests. Dice Gambit sounds like a modest, digital board game built around simple bets. So imagine my surprise when close inspection uncovered a cleverly designed tactical RPG packed with interlocking dice-based mechanics, sharp class-based combat, and nuanced visual flair.
Neon Hearts City
Like greasy rain running down the window of a mega-city ‘scraper, caught in the illuminated neon hues of blocks-wide advertisement billboards, Neon Hearts City settles comfortably into a cyberpunk setting inspired by Dick, Pondsmith, and Gibson, with a healthy dose of LucasArts point-and-click adventures for good measure.
Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition
I can’t believe we finally have a complete set of the remastered Neverwinter Nights series. After the accomplished rework of the original CRPG game, Aspyr has brought the classic follow-up, Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition—a game some believed unlikely to make the journey—to modern devices.
Baldur's Gate | RPGFan
Game Reviews Review Author Platform Score Baldur’s Gate Microsoft Windows 96 Media Baldur's Gate Artwork 20 Photos Baldur's Gate Cover Art 1 Photo Baldur's Gate Magazine Ad 1 Photo Baldur's Gate Screenshots 23 Photos RPGFan uses cookies to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking βAcceptβ, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Those Who Rule Review
Can there ever be enough turn-based SRPGs in the mould of Fire Emblem? Is it still possible to be excited about wars of political gamesmanship and the marshaling of the accompanying squads? For indie developer Eldin Turulja, the answer would be a resounding positive. This militaristic SRPG binds a complex and demanding combat system around a gritty, well-told story.
King Arthur: Legion IX
The legends of King Arthur, Camelot, and the Lady of the Lake have been popular over the last few years, and a range of projects from bizarre action games to turn-based gacha are doubling down on these romantic influences. Neocore developed their own slant on the legend, King Arthur: Knightās Tale, back in 2022 and the strategy RPG was well received. More recently, they have produced a different spin on the same systems and engine, through the stand-alone King Arthur: Legion IX.
Flint: Treasure of Oblivion
Shiver your timbers and avast! Or some such piratical platitude, as Flint: Treasure of Oblivion (Flint: ToO) is here to deliver a nautical SRPG romp straight from the pages of a weekly adventure serial. Alongside some detailed comic art in the pulp narrative, thereās a beefy turn-based strategic layer to learn. However, the underlying systems are not explained or introduced well, and control can often be cumbersome and lack intuition.
Disco Elysium OST
Among the plethora of top-tier RPGs in the last five years or so, Disco Elysium stands as one of the more innovative and unexpected critical and commercial hits. It drew a huge range of industry and critical accolades, and the immersive graphics, exceptional narrative and voice-acting, and meaningful decision systems still resonate as strongly today as they did in 2019.
VED Review | RPGFan
Many games have a notable route to release, and VED, from the small development team at Karaclan, is one of the extreme examples. Beginning life as a 2D Souls-like platformer with gorgeous, hand-drawn sprites, the game slowly evolved over 12(!) years to its current RPG format, complete with a complex, branching narrative and turn-based combat. This extended development has required huge design shifts, plus migrations through several game engines over the last decade or more.
Random Encounter 310 - Preview Week with Avowed & Path of Exile 2!
Article / Highlight · Podcast · Random Encounter by , and on November 25, 2024 On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re chatting about previews of two games we’re excited for in 2025! First up is a hands-on preview of Obsidian’s newest first-person RPG, Avowed. A spin-off from the beloved Pillars of Eternity series, Avowed is being presented as Obsidian’s answer to Skyrim.
Avowed is a Comfortable Return to Eora
Pillars of Eternity and its sequel are two of my favorite CRPGs from the last decade. Steeped in classic isometric vibes, loaded with busy civilian and wilderness settings, and capped with complex game systems, they were a work of real quality and scope. Despite the original selling well, the sequel was not as successful in 2018, with many suggesting a weaker marketing push as the main culprit. Now, Obsidian are back with Avowed, an action RPG teasing a new story and a new, first-person approach.
Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire
Having never played the classic Skies of Arcadia back in 2000 on the Dreamcast, the promise of similar sky pirate hijinks in Sky Oceans: Wings For Hire is intriguing. The developers are proud to present their creation as retro-inspired, and the character design, setting, and feel all hearken back to that acclaimed RPG. The game does not measure up to these grand influences, however. A combination of poorly-executed systems, uninspiring combat, and a bevy of glitches serve as a storm warning.
Beyond Galaxyland
After a week or so with Beyond Galaxyland, the 2D RPG by Sam Enright, it’s notable how many influences the game displays over its 25-hour story. It’s not just the aesthetics and themes of the game; there’s a wide range of combat, puzzle, and traversal systems to engage with. While not always successful, with some systems and approaches feeling underdeveloped and clumsy, the developer deserves credit for the unique worldbuilding and fluid combat systems.
Monster Sanctuary
Over the years, the monster-collecting RPG genre hasn’t interested me in the same way single-character RPGs or CRPGs have. I’ve dabbled in Pokémon/Nexomon and briefly toyed with the newer Palworld, but none stuck. Although it’s been out for four years, Monster Sanctuary not only had me wanting to collect ‘em all (for want of a better expression) but is one of my favorite games of the last few years.
Dream Tactics Review | RPGFan
After several months of playing some rather mature, hefty strategy RPGs, it’s a nice diversion to go back and play Dream Tactics. This card-based tactical RPG has been sitting in my Steam account for a while, and the cheerful pixel graphics and lightweight story are very reminiscent of the GBA era, something the developers, Spectra Entertainment Inc, reference in their game summary. Despite this fluffy feel, the turn-based strategizing can be as challenging as anything in the genre.
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord turned me into a quivering wreck. Over this last week or so, the sheer thought of losing yet more brave adventurers to enemy blades, of being teleported to a distant part of a trap-laden dungeon, or of having to return to the safety of the surface with half my party paralysed, praying I can flee from a random encounter, has taken its toll. Itās been a mentally exhausting test of patience, just as the developers intended.
Metal Slug Tactics Impressions
Gamers haven’t had anything new to savor in the Metal Slug universe for quite a while. The frantic run-and-gun action was most recently available in Metal Slug XX, a revised version of Metal Slug 7 from all the way back in 2008. Now, after a series of delays and a conspicuous silence, retro-publisher Dotemu and developer Leikir have finally given us a new entry, Metal Slug Tactics. And it looks and feels very exciting indeed.
SKALD: Against the Black Priory Deluxe Edition
SKALD: Against the Black Priory Deluxe Edition includes: SKALD: Against the Black Priory SKALD: Against the Black Priory - Reinforcement Pack SKALD: Against the Black Priory Soundtrack You drag yourself from the black tides, across the corpses of drowned men, and onto the unwelcoming, craggy shoreline. Gulls cry overhead and the stink of seaweed fills your nose. By some miracle you have made it to Idra.
SKALD: Against the Black Priory
When I first booted SKALD: Against the Black Priory, I was confident I would enjoy it. 8-bit retro style is front and centre, with a blazing chip-tune soundtrack layered over a detailed, pixellated title card. The echoes of Commodore 64 games come thick and fast: Master of Magic, Ultima, The Magic Candle, and so on. The game touches on and surpasses these traditions, providing an intense, well-written RPG with deep exploration and combat systems.
Geneforge 2: Infestation
Geneforge 2: Infestation is akin to pulling on a set of warm, comfortable clothes that you’ve owned for years: old-fashioned and a little rough around the edges they might be, but you enjoy their familiar embrace or the warm memories they trigger. The game evokes similar memories of CRPGs at the turn of the 21st century, played in darkened rooms with buzzing Pentium II chips and blazing CRT monitors.
Capes Review | RPGFan
Superheroes have found themselves represented in a multitude of genres over the years, from action-adventure to match-3, but the principles of patient strategy and slow control havenāt really been explored in the turn-based RPG space. While a few examples exist, they’ve had success for one reason or another. Spitfire Interactive seek to change that with Capes, a tactical turn-based RPG with a dash of flawed superhero characters and a smattering of dastardly villains.
SKALD: Against the Black Priory
This game is also included in: Regions of Ruin: Runegate x SKALD Bundle Digital Deluxe Edition You drag yourself from the black tides, across the corpses of drowned men, and onto the unwelcoming, craggy shoreline. Gulls cry overhead and the stink of seaweed fills your nose. By some miracle you have made it to Idra.
The Thaumaturge Original Soundtrack
Since I recently reviewed the supernatural themes and dark streets of The Thaumaturge and came away pretty impressed, I was stoked to get my copy of the game’s digital soundtrack. The Slavic themes and minimalist, ambient background music offer quite a surreal experience as you race around gathering clues and making conclusions in the game, so I was intrigued to listen to the soundtrack as a standalone release.
Fallout 3 Review | RPGFan
Fallout 3 was a landmark game. It emerged at a time when high fantasy primarily represented 3D open-world roleplaying games and shifted the genre’s possibilities. There had been some alternative settings at the time, but Bioshock euphoria dominated the cultural zeitgeist.
Zoria: Age of Shattering
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-player entry, Zoria: Age of Shattering (Zoria), over the last seven years, with the small team recently moving to full-time work to complete their opus project.
The Thaumaturge Review | RPGFan
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. Those times where we’ve ordered the pizza in, got a drink (or two) to hand and turned the lights down low.
Zoria: Age of Shattering Impressions
RPGFan recently had the opportunity to speak to Tiny Trinket Games about their upcoming turn-based RPG, Zoria: Age of Shattering, and it looks like they’ve created an entry chocked to the rafters with systems and ideas after seven years of development.
TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children
It’s always been an intriguing thought exercise of mine to imagine a near-future, “JRPG”-inspired roleplaying game setting working alongside the sort of crunchy, tactical combat more associated with genre heavyweights such as FF Tactics, XCOM, or Disgaea. South Korean developer Dandylion published TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children (T:AC) back in April 2020, and it certainly has ambitions to fulfil both those briefs and therefore place itself in an intriguing niche of the RPG pantheon.
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