RPGFan's Random Encounter

On the next Random Encounter, we're taking a deep dive into Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name , Star Ocean: The Second Story R , and Dave the Diver ! First, Jono discovers the yakuza's latest crisis in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name . Does this shorter Yakuza tale live up to its pedigree? Then Izzy Parsons gets to relive their childhood with the recent remake, St...

On the next Random Encounter, we're exploring the narrative horror depths of World of Horror and the deep strategic and colorful layers of Wargroove 2. First, Bob Richardson will guide us through World of Horror . With its unique 1-bit artistic style and roguelike narrative structure, does the game offer a lasting experience that keeps players coming back for more? Following that, Ben Love will sh...

On this week’s Random Encounter, Zach steps in as your host to guide us through RPGFan’s 25th-anniversary special, Revisiting RPGFan Games of the Year: Bracket Battle . Joining Zach are Audra, Jimmy, and Aleks, each bringing their own perspectives on what makes a Game of the Year truly deserving of the title. But the final choice of the best GOTY in 25 years doesn’t lie with them; it lies with you...

On this week's Random Encounter, we're diving into a piece of DLC that redeems one of gaming's biggest disappointments, a Souls-like that cannot tell a lie, and a classic celebrating its 30th anniversary. First, Aleks guides us through the shadowy world of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty . Does this DLC redeem 2020's Cyberpunk 2077 , or does it miss the mark? Following that, Noah takes us into the...

On this week's Random Encounter, we're delving into two recent farm-sim RPGs, exploring if they bring anything new to the genre. First, Niki takes us through the remaster/remake of the classic DS farm-sim Rune Factory 3 Special . Is there anything genuinely special about it, or should you stick with more recent entries of the series? Following that, Sam visits the enchanting universe of Fae Farm ....

On this week's Random Encounter, we're blasting off to new galaxies and sailing through enchanted seas with two of the most anticipated RPGs of 2023! First, Noah navigates the cosmic expanses of Starfield , Bethesda's highly anticipated space exploration RPG. With the expectations of Skyrim in Space ringing in everyone's ears, does Starfield end up living up to the hype? Or does it end up crashing...

On this week's Random Encounter, we're diving into the realms of fantasy and musical adventure! First, Abe takes on the epic challenge of reviewing Baldur's Gate III, the long-awaited CRPG sequel that brings Dungeons & Dragons to life! With intricate storytelling, deep character customization, and intense tactical combat, does it roll a nat 20? Then, Audra explores the harmonious world of Stra...

On this week's Random Encounter, we're stepping into the wrestling ring and exploring an anti-RPG! First, Neal gets into his tights and fights for the title with WrestleQuest , a pixel RPG that echoes the golden era of professional wrestling. Filled with iconic wrestles and thrilling moves, does it pin Neal's attention? Then, Ben explores the mysterious world of 24 Killers , an anti-RPG in the sty...

On this week's Random Encounter, we're looking at a lost Nintendo game, and what might become one of the greatest RPG soundtracks of all time. If you are from the West, you may not have heard of Marvelous: Another Treasure Island . This late-era SNES/Super Famicom title was never localized, but it had a massive impact on gaming history, especially for The Legend of Zelda franchise. Josh chats with...

On this week's Random Encounter, we're finally breaking free of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom , Not-E3, and Final Fantasy XVI ! Time to talk about some (other) games! First up, Audra delights in the RPG crossover to end all RPG crossovers, The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie . Probably not the game you want to try to get into the Trails series , but if you're a fan, it's a must-p...

On this week's Random Encounter, we're talking about Final Fantasy XVI ! It's been six years since the last numbered Final Fantasy game, but the wait is finally over, and Final Fantasy XVI has finally arrived! There's so much to talk about that we're dedicating an entire episode to it, hosted by our FFXVI reviewer, Zach! Whether you've just started the demo or have already beaten the game, there i...

On this week's Random Encounter, it's all about Not-E3!  If you're a video game fan, Not-E3 week is like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween all rolled into one! Though a few shows are still coming up next week, the big ones are all finished, and our panel is here to discuss the massive amount of RPG and adventure game news and trailers that dropped! It's one of the biggest episodes of the year, and...

On this week's Random Encounter, we're seeing the beginnings of the Not-E3 season! If you're a video game fan, it's getting close to the most wonderful time of the year! There are slightly under two weeks until Summer Game Fest, but we still have a ton of news to discuss from Wednesday's PlayStation Showcase and Thursday's Marvelous Game Showcase, including Final Fantasy XVI , Dragon's Dogma 2 , a...

On this Saturday's emergency Random Encounter, we're discussing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom! We've assembled a panel of three people who loved Breath of the Wild, one who liked it, and one who just wasn't a fan. The plan was to meet up to talk about the entirety of TOTK, beginning to end. Unfortunately, that plan ran directly into a major roadblock, which was that TOTK has got to be...

On this week's Random Encounter, we're talking about two highly anticipated sequels (although one is slightly more anticipated than the other). First up, Jono and Mike share their initial impressions of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom , the long-awaited direct sequel to 2017's Breath of the Wild . Does it meet their sky-high expectations? And then, Audra, Mike, and Hilary get to have a g...

On this week's Random Encounter, we're talking about a highly anticipated piece of DLC and a very highly anticipated remake (that we were never quite sure we would EVER see)! First up is Caitlin talking about the Horizon Forbidden West DLC, Burning Shores . In it, we visit the post-apocalyptical ruins of Los Angeles, but do Aloy's Hollywood dreams live up to Caitlin's expectations? Then, Ben fills...

On this week's Random Encounter, we're looking at two games (technically, 11 games) that bring us fully into cyberspace! First, Peter downloads his thoughts on the new visual novel based on Disney's Tron franchise, TRON: IDENTITY . Does it capture the cyber-magic of the classic 80s film and its 2010s follow-up? Then, Abe confronts the monumental task of getting through all ten games included in th...

On this week’s Random Encounter, we’re talking about two games that, frankly, we can’t believe exist. Many of us expect certain game series to “stay in their lane.” Mega Man is a platformer. Doom is an FPS. Metroid is, well, a Metroidvania. But when a series tries something completely different in a new genre, the results can vary in quality. Audra recently reviewed two such games, one that wildly...

On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re talking about how to introduce your children to video games, specifically RPGs. We’re far away from the 1980s, back when most parents saw video games as a “fad” or “waste of time.” Instead, parents nowadays see games as a legitimate form of entertainment at worst and an art form at best. So, how should parents today introduce their children to the world o...

On this episode of Random Encounter, we're diving into some recent non-RPG Final Fantasy spin-offs! First up, we have the first console entry in the long-running Final Fantasy rhythm game series, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line . Offering over 380 songs from every Final Fantasy game (with more songs from other Square Enix series on the way), it could be the ultimate entry of Theatrhythm , but does it g...

On this episode of Random Encounter, we're talking about two big recent RPGs, Octopath Traveler II and Like a Dragon: Ishin! When the original Octopath Traveler came out in 2018, we'd never seen anything like its HD-2D art style. Now, Square Enix is back with a sequel, Octopath Traveler II , that addresses many of the criticisms leveled at the game five years ago. Does Zach think that OTII measure...

On this episode of Random Encounter, we're digging into all the news from the Feb 2023 Nintendo Direct! Here at RPGFan, we look forward to Nintendo Directs like children look forward to Santa Claus. The only difference is that we KNOW when the man in red is supposed to arrive, but Nintendo always keeps us guessing. Thankfully, the wait is over for the first Direct of the year, and we got a massive...

On this episode of Random Encounter, we're talking about two games: one controversial, one not! Square Enix's recent release, Forspoken , had a rough ride during its development, and it doesn't look like that ended with its release. While many think it's a perfectly fine action RPG, others feel it's a disaster. Where does Izzy fall on that spectrum? Then, Brian indulges in his love of the beat-'em...

On this episode of Random Encounter, the panel REALLY gets into talking about Marvel Comics and music! A surprise hit of 2022 was Marvel's Midnight Suns . Audra recently reviewed the supernatural-tinged strategy RPG, giving both Audra and Jono an opportunity to nerd the heck out about Marvel! Then, Mike gets a chance to chat with Audra about Coffee Talk , one of his favorite games of the last few...

On this episode of Random Encounter, we're talking about two awesome RPGs released at the tail end of 2022. First up, Caitlin talks about her experience with the retro-indie JRPG, Chained Echoes . Primarily developed by a single person for the last seven years, this incredible JRPG evokes all those feelings back in the 16-bit age but with a ton of modern touches. It's simply an astonishing achieve...