Neal Chandran

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Rhythm Encounter 157 - Visual Novel Soundscapes

1 month ago | rpgfan.com | Patrick Gann |Gio Castillo |Neal Chandran |Audra Bowling

It’s visual novel day at Rhythm Encounter! Following one of the quickest sign-up processes ever for our show, four visual novel fans have come together to share thoughts on the music of eight visual novels, but they discuss so many more in the process. We all quickly learned that this topic will have to make an appearance again because the well of inspiration is so very deep.
Breath of Death VII: The Beginning: Reanimated

Jan 3, 2025 | rpgfan.com | Neal Chandran

2024 has been my year of playing remakes, remasters, and re-releases of games I never played or never finished for various reasons. The latest entry on that list is Breath of Death VII: The Beginning: Reanimated, ShadowLayer Gamesâ full remake of Zeboyd Gamesâ indie darling that I never played the first time around. This brief yet fulfilling game is precisely what I needed to get a necessary RPG fix during recent weeks when life gave me little time to sit down and play games.
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code Plus

Nov 19, 2024 | rpgfan.com | Neal Chandran

In my 2023 Game of the Year writeup, I put Master Detective Archives: Rain Code as the 2023 game I wanted to play in the future. At the time it was a Switch exclusive (and I do not have one), but it was inevitable that this cool game would not stay exclusive. And now we have the multiplatform Master Detective Archives: Rain Code Plus. This Plus version features crisper graphics in 4K resolution, reduced loading times, and smoother overall performance on other platforms.
SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky

Oct 23, 2024 | rpgfan.com | Neal Chandran

Memories: Off is a renowned visual novel series that debuted in 1999 and has since spawned several games (including main series games and spinoffs), anime OVAs, manga, and other assorted multimedia. I played Memories: Off and Memories: Off 2nd in my avid importing days and appreciate their storylines having more gravitas than your average anime high school love adventure. SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky is the latest entry in this storied franchise and the first to be localized in English.
Fate/stay night Remastered

Oct 12, 2024 | rpgfan.com | Neal Chandran

Fate/stay night is where Type-Moon’s prolific and popular multimedia Fate franchise began. Originally an adult (read: hentai) visual novel released in 2004, an updated version called Fate/stay night Réalta Nua was released a few years later with additional content and the hentai scenes replaced by non-hentai alternatives. Over time, the Fate series has spawned anime series, video games (such as 2011’s Fate/Extra on the PSP, being remade as Fate/Extra Record), and more.
Date A Live: Ren Dystopia

Sep 5, 2024 | rpgfan.com | Neal Chandran

Date A Live is a light novel series that has since been adapted into an anime series, video games, and other multimedia. In fact, the anime just aired its fifth season earlier this year.
Vay Review | RPGFan

Jul 27, 2024 | rpgfan.com | Neal Chandran

Vay is not a game I expected to see revived in 2024. This Sega CD title was localized by Working Designs in 1994, but despite it having nifty animated cutscenes, it could not escape the looming shadow of console darling Lunar: The Silver Star (also localized by Working Designs). Vay had a mobile port introduced in 2008, but it had some issues and eventually fell off… until now! SoMoGa has completely overhauled their 2008 port of Vay and made it available for Steam.
Little-Known Galaxy

Jun 21, 2024 | rpgfan.com | Neal Chandran

When people think of the “cozy RPG” subgenre, a prime example that comes to mind is Stardew Valley. With its happy blend of farming, community building, and exploration, Stardew Valley has amassed a strong and loyal following. Carbon & Kay‘s debut title, Little-Known Galaxy,is best described as Stardew Valley in space. If that’s your jam, then Little-Known Galaxy is a charming, if flawed, time sink.
Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER

May 15, 2024 | rpgfan.com | Neal Chandran

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER is the long-awaited sequel to 2015’s indie darling 2064: Read Only Memories (which itself is a director’s cut edition of 2014’s Read Only Memories). NEURODIVER takes place six years after the first game and is both a sequel to 2064 and, according to the game’s Steam page, a jumping-in point for new players.
Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER Hands-On Preview

Apr 18, 2024 | rpgfan.com | Neal Chandran

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER is the long-awaited sequel to 2015’s indie adventure 2064: Read Only Memories. 2064 introduced players to a more introspective cyberpunk story with all manner of character types represented (because representation matters). NEURODIVER takes us back into that vibrant world with a brand new story and characters, though some old friends do return.