Izzy Parsons
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Writing For
RPGFanLatest Reviews
There is something magical about playing a brand-new Japanese RPG that is unconstrained in its budget or vision in 2024. There is no denying a game like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has a far greater budget and scope than Visions of Mana, but the latter still gives me a comparable...
SaGa Emerald Beyond isn’t what I expected. The initial trailers made me think it would be SaGa Scarlet Grace with more of a budget and the return of many beloved series elements. I thought it might even end up being the most SaGa game to ever SaGa. Instead, it feels...
Dragon’s Dogma 2 shouldn’t be surprising. It builds on what made the original game a cult classic and doesn’t flinch away from different approaches than the critical darlings. And yet, I find myself constantly delighted and shocked with each play session, feelings that grew more common, not less, further into...
In Stars and Time might drag on a little longer and get repetitive more often than I would like, but its ambition and adherence to its themes are commendable, and are made even more impressive by the fact that the game was developed in RPG Maker. This game is a...
I feel no hesitation in calling Star Ocean: The Second Story R not only the definitive version of the second Star Ocean title but also one of the best games in the series and one of my favourite games of the year. I can only hope it speaks for the...
Silent Hope
Silent Hope is a charming, adorable game with pitch-perfect sound design, from its limited voice work (the Princess and the King), suitably adventurous and mysterious music, and dopamine-inducing sound effects. It gets repetitive but has a well-oiled gameplay loop that keeps you on the rails. The limited character builds result...
The Legend of Nayuta is an incredibly polished experience. It feels like the culmination of Falcom’s action RPG expertise at the time, having already developed games like Ys: The Oath in Felghana, Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim, and the Zwei duology. There are precious few games where I can say...
Forspoken
Forspoken is a far better and more compelling game than I had feared, but it also doesn’t reach the heights I dreamt of. There is a lot of fun to be had exploring Athia and the main quest keeps things interesting even when you get bored with the open-world checklist....
Harvestella
Harvestella is ambitious as hell and punches way above what I suspect was a limited budget. Yes, I wish Quietus would feel like more of a threat during the game or that time management offered more of a sense of urgency than it does, but this game is going to...
I wish I liked The Outbound Ghost more than I do, but I am glad games like it exist. There will always be genres and ideas that big publishers and developers don’t see as viable, and the indie space is a perfect place to explore them. I don’t recommend The Outbound Ghost at this...
Soul Hackers 2
My opinion of Soul Hackers 2 was in constant flux during my playthrough. I never especially disliked the game, but I often flipped between enjoyment and disappointment within mere minutes. That feeling of disappointment is what remains in the end. I am not sure if Soul Hackers 2 is exciting...
Live A Live
As a package, this title stands up impressively well, to this day. Every scenario presents a unique and compelling message with relevant lessons, and its short runtime means barely a second is wasted. Numerous cinematic touches throughout make it feel like a collection of experimental short films. And it all...
