Rise of the Third Power

WayTooManyGamesHeidi Hawes

9/10

Stegosoft is a relatively new indie developer, with their first project, Ara Fell, being first released in 2016 and was met with general favorable reviews. I was fortunate enough to be able to play Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition when it came out in March of 2020, which fixed many of the issues players had with the original version. I fell in love with the game almost immediately. It was a fantastic blending of ARPG and JRPG styles, and was one of the first retro-themed RPGs that truly managed to ...

Pure NintendoKirk Hiner

8.5/10

Here I am, about to tout the virtues of another retro RPG. This one is called Rise of the Third Power, and it comes to us from Stegosoft. If you've enjoyed but are feeling somewhat burnt out on KEMCO's library, you may want to turn Stegosoft's way.Read More

Playstation UniverseTimothy Nunes

8.5/10

Rise of The Third Power brings a lot to the table, streamlining the old charm by adding modern nuances to make something quite special. Invigorating combat meets intriguing writing, which makes for a perfect RPG combination. Some design choices may not sit well with everyone, but Rise of The Third Power still stands as a fantastic RPG more than worth anyone's time.

Video ChumsA.J. Maciejewski

8/10

If you've visited Video Chums before then you know that I love old-school RPGs and Rise of the Third Power is surely one of the best.

COGConnectedStephan Adamus

80/100

Developer Stegosoft has released its second game, Rise of the Third Power. Their goal was to create a “retro-themed, console-style role playing game”, and they definitely achieved it. It’s hard to not think of JRPG classic giants such as Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI when playing Rise of the Third Power. It features plenty of modern gameplay and quality of life upgrades, but the graphics, music, and overall aesthetic channel nostalgic Super Nintendo vibes. As a JRPG lover, I couldn’t help being seduced.

RPGamerRyan Radcliff

Stegosoft Games is ready to unleash their second title on the Nintendo Switch. However, whether this mixed party of royalty, leaders, and thieves are able to survive a tumultuous journey to the truth is anyone's guess.

Nintendo World ReportJordan Rudek

7.5/10

Rise of the Third Power, whether in 2022 or 1992, will still slot into the middle of the pack for SNES-inspired RPGs. The combat and overarching story are clear highlights, but there's undeniable bloat that hurts the pacing and the character portraits, for the most part, would be better left on the cutting room floor. While a babystep up from Ara Fell, which I awarded a 7 out of 10 in 2020, Rise of the Third Power doesn't quite do enough to earn a full-throated recommendation. That said, it's still a fairly enjoyable classic RPG experience with interesting characters, a simple but fun battle s...

PC InvasionJoshua Chu

5.5/10

Rise of the Third Power squanders its potential and ultimately falls into mediocrity, with inconsistent art and sound direction and uninteresting turn-based mechanics. There's lots of good in this game, but it's not enough to outweigh the more disappointing shortfalls.

I wonder if the writing enamoured me so much that it hampered my enjoyment of the rest of the game. The combat and dungeon crawling is fine, above-average even, but it often felt like an impediment to Rise of the Third Power’s excellent story. Nevertheless, I had a great time with Stegosoft Games’ latest offering. The team’s love for the JRPG genre is shining through, and their ability to spin a great narrative helps the work lift well beyond what you usually get from “RPG Maker”-like projects.