Battle Chasers: Nightwar

Battle Chasers: Nightwars’ combat and activity-dense world scratch the JRPG itch, even if the storytelling and character development leave a fair bit to be desired. Its attractive dungeons and outdoor regions are fun to get lost in, and there are just enough hidden treasures to claim to make exploration rewarding in a more than visual capacity. I’d be very pleased to see more turn-based indie RPGs along the same lines as Nightwar in the future - and the ending heavily suggests this won’t be the last we see of this universe in RPG form.

I didn’t go into Battle Chasers: Nightwar expecting much of anything, given the development studio’s relative youth as a company and the spotty record of Kickstarted games. However, Nightwar’s focus on style and character, coupled with a mostly excellent combat system, kept me hooked for much longer than I had imagined. Whatever your familiarity with its source material, this game builds a beautiful world with a surprising amount of depth just beneath the surface.