Role-playing

It can be easy to find fault with some of the Square Enix iOS releases: whether its laughably bad pricing models (Final Fantasy: All the Bravest, Demons' Score) or overpriced re-releases (the Final Fantasy re-releases), there are times where it feels like Square's reaching a little too far into the wallets of gamers. But there's no denying their support for mobile platforms: with over two dozen releases under their belt, from Chaos Rings to Space Invader: Infinity Gene - and their latest title, the entertaining-but-repetitive Bloodmasque.

Shadowrun's last appearance in video game form wasn't that pretty, leaving fans disappointed that Microsoft decided to turn their cyberpunk, urban fantasy pulp RPG into a multiplayer shooter. Thankfully, the mastermind behind the franchise, Jordan Weisman, headed to Kickstarter in order to fund a project designed to take the series back to its roots: Shadowrun Returns.

With a library that contains JRPGs like Etrian Odyssey, Fire Emblem, Soul Hackers and Kingdom Hearts, it's no surprise that Shin Megami Tensei IV found its way to the Nintendo 3DS. It's becoming the go-to system for JRPG fanatics – which is a blessing considering how few are released for home consoles – and SMTIV is a welcome addition.

Mind Games is a DLC that adds a slew of new content to Sword of the Stars: The Pit. It includes new levels, new weapons, new items, and new enemies. But, the most exciting addition is the psionic powers, along with 2 new classes: the ranger and the psion.

You are the last hope for mankind as a deadly plague is killing your world. Your mission is to travel deep into an alien facility that may or may not have the necessary resources to create a cure. This place is called The Pit and all who have entered have never returned. Can you survive the dangers that lurk within, or will death take you?

If you haven’t played any of the Mario & Luigi series, I strongly urge you to do so, as they are some of the most thought out, inspired and creative titles Nintendo has ever developed. From exploring the Beanbean Kingdom in Superstar Saga to Mario & Luigi trying to communicate with baby versions of themselves in Partners in Time, the series stays true to its tried and tested gameplay, with the addition of a few new features in Dream Team.

Final Fantasy VII is a classic. Its story, its score, its mechanics - for many this was the game that defined what RPGs should be. With another re-release, this time on Steam, Square Enix proves time is no barrier to a decent game, although a little polish might serve to get rid of the dust.

While I've thoroughly enjoyed playing Borderlands 2 like a fiend the last ten months, I never found myself to be fully satisfied with the game. Sure, it feels great to get all the uber-rare weapons and mods and take on all the raid bosses and whatnot - I'm talking about emotionally: if there's one way Borderlands 2 disappointed me, it was how it mostly wasted its opportunity at creating a resonant narrative: even the death of a beloved character didn't provide anything but the most particular story beats.

Knights of Pen and Paper is a game designed to take you back to a time when a group of likely slightly smelly individuals would sit around a table, getting engrossed in a story of their own creation. By lovingly combining table top RPG with the gameplay devices of late eighties/early nineties, Behold Studios have created a game that is both nostalgic and fresh, seriously fun and, at times, frustratingly true to its source.

Akaneiro: Demon Hunters is a game by Spicy Horse, originally released as a web browser title and now available for early purchase as a downloadable on Steam. It's still in development, with new features on the way over the next few months, so this probably isn't the last time we'll take a sojourn into historic Japan. An action-RPG of sorts, Akaneiro's beautiful art style covers limited, repetitive gameplay that may be fun in small doses on a tablet or in a browser, but which ultimately falls long short of greatness.