Role-playing video game

Square Enix Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is out now, but it’s only available on PlayStation 5. As is the case with Helldivers 2, Xbox players might be feeling left out of the fun as one of the year’s most critically acclaimed games isn’t on their platform. Although the original Final Fantasy VII is no longer on Xbox Game Pass, quite a few other fantastic RPGs from or inspired by Japanese developers are. If you’re looking for a great RPG on Game Pass that’ll fill the void, try these titles, listed in no particular order,…

Good Shepard Entertainment Who would have thought that 2024 would be the year of the monster-collecting game? While several have tried (and often struggled) to recapture the joys of Pokémon, this year’s Palworld is perhaps the first game that’s ever truly been able to pull it off. Granted, it did that by trading in finely tuned RPG combat for Ark-like survival crafting that makes it an entirely different game, but a win’s a win. While Palworld has broken records on Steam, its early access nature means you can hit its…

Bandai Namco Entertainment The next batch of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass this month was just revealed. Leading the pack of games being added to the subscription service today is Tales of Arise, a critically acclaimed RPG from Bandai Namco Entertainment that Xbox previously leaked was coming to the service. Tales of Arise was released in 2021. The latest entry in a long-running RPG series, it follows a slave and girl inflicted with a curse as they rise up against the kingdom of Rena. It sports real-time RPG…

The February additions to the PlayStation Plus Premium and Essential were unveiled by Sony on Wednesday morning, and it’s a great batch of games for RPG fans. Thirteen games will hit the service on February 20, many of which come from Bandai Namco Entertainment’s Tales Off series. The most exciting addition for me is The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition, which is the complete version of a fantastic sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment. The Outer Worlds first released for PC, PS4, and Xbox One in October 2019,…

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden MSRP $59.99 “Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden delivers both slick action and tough moral choices.” Pros Excellent worldbuilding Strong sidequests Engaging real-time combat Compelling choice system Cons Choices can feel too binary…

Granblue Fantasy: Relink MSRP $60.00 “Granblue Fantasy: Relink has all the thrills of Final Fantasy XVI, but in a much tighter package.” Pros Detailed anime visuals Fantastic combat Unique character playstyles Deceptively deep customization Cons Weak main story…

Persona 3 Reload MSRP $69.99 “Persona 3 Reload is a win-win of a remake for old and new Persona fans alike.” Pros Slick presentation Clever, modern gameplay upgrades Stays faithful to the original Great quality of life changes With Persona 3 Reload, developer Atlus had a difficult task on its…

Larian Studios A career-crowning achievement as monumental as Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t come out of nowhere. From Divinity to Dungeons & Dragons, Larian Studios has long been one of the loudest advocates for rich storytelling and true, meaningful freedom in Western RPGs. Larian Studios’ story is a rags-to-riches tale about a group of passionate developers whose deep and diverse portfolio of games piled up for nearly three decades before Baldur’s Gate 3 ever saw the light of day. Amid canceled projects, Larian…

Nintendo We’re in the middle of a Nintendo DS renaissance on Nintendo Switch, which is fitting as that classic handheld turns 20 in 2014. Coming off the excellent Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective re-release from last year, more DS classics are coming to Nintendo Switch this month. First, Another Code Recollection contains a full-on remake of the cult classic Another Code: Two Memories, and it’s out now. In a few days, on January 25, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney will remastered as part of a trilogy collection that also…

Microsoft Xbox has long struggled with consistency and maintaining a steady stream of exclusives. Some years would be chock-full of exciting new games, while others were barren wastelands outside of a couple of smaller releases. After a turnaround in 2023, Xbox’s 2024 first-party game lineup is looking to be its most compelling in years. That’s thanks to a successful Developer_Direct showcase that set Xbox on the right track this week. It doesn’t feel like this year is relying too heavily on one studio or genre, and…