Songbringer

This adventure role-playing game provides a clear statement that content outweighs graphics for an engaging game. Songbringer is reminiscent of an old 8-bit Nintendo game, with pixelated graphics and a simple control scheme. But if you stop there, you'll miss a lush role-playing experience full of surprises that's not only engaging, but also unpredictable, offering a different opportunity to explore the world each time the game starts. Nonlinear, without the burden of having to acquire experience to power up to the point where bosses are manageable, Songbringer is as much a mental exercise as it is a dungeon-crawl hack and slash. Roq can use the droidsmith onboard the Songbringer (the name of his ship) to combine elements he finds in the world to give him new weapons. For example, you can combine a blink orb and fire crystal to temporarily turn Roq into a fireball to fry enemies, or pick up a top hat that can be hurled to grab objects dropped in inaccessible areas. In many ways, Songbringer is about playing smart, and enjoying the ride.

The biggest issue lies in the visuals and the way they can hamper perspective. Because of the top-down perspective, you may find yourself running into bits of the environment that can do damage while trying to just get a better angle on targeted objects, which can be frustrating. Taking damage in combat is one thing, but taking damage from a plant because the perspective is off is another thing altogether. Plus, the graphics may be off-putting for some players, and frankly, the bigger the screen, the worst they start to look. But overall, Songbringer is a delightful gem hidden beneath a rough exterior. Offering endless replayability options, this is a title that RPG fans should embrace.