Many studios have tried to match the success and legacy of Diablo II over the years. The 2000 action-RPG (ARPG) by Blizzard Entertainment has long been considered the gold standard for fantasy dungeon crawlers, and is generally thought of as one of the best games ever made. Choosing from multiple …
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In an age when more and more games have taken on the continual live-service model, only so many can gain traction (some only last a few days). Given how many falter, it’s a badge of honor that the OG, 2004’s World of Warcraft, has survived so long that it’s nearly …
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For a cutesy RPG, Mario & Luigi: Brothership (out Nov. 7) has a lot pressure riding on it. It’s the first new entry in the Mario & Luigi sub-series since its original developer AlphaDream filed for bankruptcy in 2019. It’s also stepping into the role as Nintendo‘s flagship Mario RPG, …
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Released in 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the original Dragon’s Dogma was an action roleplaying game tailored to a very specific audience. Brutally difficult, the gameplay centered on open-world exploration with a survivalist touch, wherein players and their NPC (non-player character) companions must trek through a “persistent” …
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Final Fantasy XVI works because of its desire to push the series in a new direction, influenced by all kinds of western media, while still celebrating its own quirky spirit. It doesn’t reinvent or subvert its original concepts — there are still crystals, chocobos, and scenery chewing villains — but …
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It’s been a long time since I truly loved a Final Fantasy game. Final Fantasy XII, which came out in 2006, was a somewhat forgettable distraction that mostly left me longing for another Vagrant Story. Unfairly maligned Final Fantasy XIII (2009) had a little je ne sais quoi but didn’t …
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