JRPGs

AppWizard
May 13, 2025
The Humble Spring Sale 2025 is ongoing until May 28, offering significant discounts on various PC games, primarily Steam keys. Notable deals include: - Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition available for .99, down from .99, including the base game and Season Pass content. - Our Metaphor: ReFantazio, rated 10/10, priced at .99, reduced from .99. - Persona 5 Royal available for .99, down from its usual price. - Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Complete Edition for .99, reduced from .99, including the base game and additional content. Other games on sale include Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Cyberpunk 2077, and Space Marine 2, with their prices not specified.
AppWizard
May 6, 2025
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, developed by Sandfall Interactive, is a strong contender for Game of the Year in 2025, resonating with RPG fans and achieving significant sales success. It outsold major titles like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Persona at a 2:1 ratio, selling over 785,000 copies on Steam in its first week and reaching a peak concurrent player count of 145,063. The game has garnered attention for its engaging opening hours, innovative parry-based combat system, and relatable characters, appealing to PC gamers. It combines elements of JRPGs with Western aesthetics, distinguishing itself from other titles in the genre.
AppWizard
May 2, 2025
Sandfall Interactive's game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has sold one million copies within three days of its release and surpassed 785,000 copies sold on Steam in its first week. It has also sold over 350,000 copies on PlayStation. The game has more than 1.5 million wishlists on Steam. Its success is attributed to quality visuals, a rewarding turn-based combat system, a compelling narrative, and a strategic pricing decision. The game is available on Xbox Game Pass, which has positively impacted its sales through increased visibility and word-of-mouth promotion. Expedition 33 has outperformed recent titles in the Japanese RPG genre, including Atlus's Metaphor Re:Fantazio, and has even surpassed Oblivion on Steam's global sales charts.
AppWizard
April 27, 2025
From 2000 to 2010, PopCap Games dominated the casual gaming market, influencing the design of many subsequent mobile games. The studio's notable titles included Peggle Extreme, featured in Valve's The Orange Box, and Gyromancer, a collaboration with Square Enix. PopCap's games often drew inspiration from earlier concepts, such as Zuma from Puzz Loop and Bejeweled from the Russian game Shariki. After being acquired by Electronic Arts, PopCap shifted towards mobile and free-to-play models, leading to the decline of its original PC titles. Despite this change, the spirit of PopCap's creativity persists in the indie gaming scene, with games like Donut County and Peglin reflecting its innovative approach. Bookworm Adventures remains accessible through the Internet Archive, contributing to PopCap's lasting legacy.
AppWizard
April 24, 2025
ReFantazio has achieved unexpected success on PC, indicating a growing interest among PC gamers for Japanese titles. Katsura Hashino, the creative director known for the Persona series, noted that the percentage of PC players engaging with Atlus games is increasing annually, with long-term data supporting this trend. Major industry players like Square Enix are also moving away from console exclusivity, as seen with the successful PC port of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Hashino emphasized the importance of allowing players to enjoy games in their preferred environments. Additionally, the lead UI designer of Metaphor: ReFantazio referenced a lesser-known PS2 title from 25 years ago, highlighting the ongoing influence of older games on modern design.
AppWizard
April 23, 2025
Clair Obscur is a JRPG set in a dark version of Belle Époque France, featuring a countdown marked by a figure called the Paintress that signals doom for certain individuals. The gameplay combines traditional turn-based mechanics with real-time challenges, requiring players to develop characters into powerful allies to prevent an apocalypse. The battle system includes quick-time events and real-time shooting, which can lead to frustration due to its demand for precision. Character diversity is a highlight, with each member of Expedition 33 offering unique abilities, but the game often lacks meaningful feedback on strategies. Exploration is streamlined, allowing players to avoid excessive grinding, with a total playtime of around 20 hours. Inventory management is simplified, focusing on combat and storytelling. The game features strong voice acting and vibrant visuals, though its combat mechanics can overshadow the narrative.
AppWizard
March 21, 2025
During the 2025 Game Developers Conference, François Meurisse, producer of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and COO of Sandfall Interactive, discussed the game's development, which began in early 2019 as a passion project by creative director Guillaume Broche. The game features a parry system and allows players to aim freely with ranged weapons. Broche's inspirations include FromSoftware titles like Sekiro and classic JRPGs such as Final Fantasy and Lost Odyssey, while Meurisse draws from Paper Mario and EarthBound. Meurisse described Expedition 33 as an homage to classic JRPGs rather than a groundbreaking innovator. The game is set to release on April 23, and players can wishlist it on Steam.
AppWizard
March 10, 2025
The original Wizardry, released in 1981, was a pioneering title in party-based computer role-playing games (CRPGs) and inspired an anime adaptation. The franchise has seen a revival, including a faithful remake and unconventional offerings like a blockchain-based game and a gacha game. Wizardry Variants Daphne, available on mobile and Steam, features first-person dungeon-crawling and grid-based movement. Players can collect treasures, including bones of fallen adventurers, which can be revived with a randomized selection system. The game includes a complex economy with various currencies and season passes, and players can engage without spending, although there is an energy mechanic called Fortitude. Reviving characters with low Fortitude carries risks, but is less punishing than in the original game. The original anime adaptation reflects the game's themes and elements, and Wizardry has significantly influenced both CRPGs and JRPGs, inspiring contemporary titles.
AppWizard
December 28, 2024
Many gamers are facing a growing backlog of titles as they enter the new year. Instead of returning to popular games like The Witcher 3 or Persona 5, players are encouraged to explore quirky indie games that offer depth and creativity, are budget-friendly, and suitable for short gaming sessions. Eight standout indie games from the past year and two late entries from 2023 include: 1. Felvidek: Set in the Slovak highlands, featuring a disgraced protagonist investigating supernatural occurrences with a priest, utilizing sepia-toned visuals and retro turn-based combat. 2. Skald: Against the Black Priory: A DOS RPG-inspired game with pixel art and a rich soundtrack, offering modern hardcore CRPG mechanics. 3. Dread Delusion: A low-fi RPG with immersive world-building and exploration, captivating players since early access. 4. Anger Foot: An arcade FPS priced at , combining fast-paced action and humor, reminiscent of "Hotline Miami." 5. Judero: An action-adventure game with a druid protagonist in a whimsical claymation world, featuring surreal dialogues. 6. Mouthwashing: A claustrophobic narrative set on a marooned spaceship, known for its nonlinear storytelling and haunting atmosphere. 7. Straftat: A 1v1 FPS that combines classic map design with humor, serving as a contrast to live service games. 8. The Black Parade: An unofficial expansion for Thief Gold, featuring ten expansive missions that highlight immersive sim design. These indie titles offer a refreshing alternative to mainstream gaming, allowing players to enjoy unique narratives and innovative gameplay.
AppWizard
December 26, 2024
On December 25, 2024, Katsura Hashino, the creator of Metaphor: ReFantazio, stated in an interview that there are currently no plans for a sequel, but he is hopeful for the franchise's future. He hinted at the possibility of a sequel set during Japan's Sengoku period. Metaphor: ReFantazio has been well-received, recognized for its combat, exploration, character design, and narrative, winning "Best Story Direction" at the Windows Central Game Awards 2024. The game sold over one million copies within 24 hours of its release on October 11, 2024, making it Atlus' fastest-selling title, surpassing Persona 3: Reload.
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