Worthplaying: Nostalgia Review

Modern Japanese RPGs don't really resemble the games of yore. Even if you ignore all the advances in gameplay or graphics, the fact is that only the tone has changed. Older RPGs were mostly adventure stories, with a group of young and plucky characters who were provided with some sort of motivation to set out on a quest. Before you knew it, they were saving the world and having all sorts of cheerful adventures. As JRPGs have progressed, they've gradually become more serious. Even lighthearted games, like the Tales series and Star Ocean, seem to be more fixated on their messages and symbolism than the adventure. Nostalgia is a return to the simpler days of RPGs, a time when the adventure, not the ending, was the point of the story. In some ways, this makes it a much-needed breath of fresh air. In others ways, however, it reminds us why stories have changed so much. 7/10