16-bit RPGs will always have a special place in my heart; I remember so clearly discovering games like the Final Fantasy titles (and many more besides) on the SNES and being blown away by their storytelling, along with the depth and breadth of their worlds. I’m thankful that the art form persists with contemporary games, as old school RPGs of this nature are still some of the most satisfying and memorable gaming experiences available.

So when Tales of Frah’Akin was brought to my attention, I had to check it out. It’s an RPG created to deliberately evoke the style of those 16-bit classics, albeit with some modern sensibilities and conveniences.

It’s a beautifully designed game, with gorgeous visuals and a wonderful, orchestral-style soundtrack. In Tales of Frah’Akin, you play as Ennea, an elven Princess, who sets out across the world of Frah’Akin to stop a looming threat.

The choices you make over the course of the game can shape the world and its characters, and the crafting system, along with a whole host of minigames, such as fishing, mining and playing instruments (and more besides) make Frah’Akin feel incredibly immersive. The turn based combat with a party of characters, without random encounters (the latter being something I was never a fan of in the aforementioned 16-bit Final Fantasy titles), is nicely implemented too.

Impressively, Tales of Frah’Akin has been created by a solo developer, and the game was created using RPG Maker MZ. However, it feels like a vibrant and compelling fantasy world, and with its custom, hand-drawn art, it feels handcrafted and far from a generic production that you may expect given its origins as an RPG Maker MZ title.

You can try Tales of Frah’Akin for yourself, as its demo is now available on Steam. It works really well on the Steam Deck too, if that’s of importance to you!

And yes, you can pet the dog.

Currently seeking funds on Kickstarter, you can pledge for your copy of Tales of Frah’Akin and support its solo developer’s impressive work here.

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