Angeline Era is a terrific PS1-era RPG that builds on classic bump-style RPG action with deep gameplay and a memorable plot.
As many may know, I’m a big fan of the Ys series, and Ys 1 and 2 specifically are my favorites. They have an action mechanic called bump combat, where we run into things to attack. There’s no attack button so it kind of frees up our mind a bit but also challenges us differently to learn where the hit boxes are on enemies. Angeline Era takes that kind of combat and elevates it, giving combos and patterns and situational aspects that we need to be aware of when attacking.
But it’s also so full of content, too, based on its really interesting map system. On the map, every square is potentially an area that we can play. We can go into a square, investigate it, and there could be a longer level there. And these levels, once we beat them, will unlock areas of the map that we’re close to. It’s designed very well. So whatever we find, it’ll unlock a step to get up here or a new path to go through. But there is no one set way to go through the game either, so the exploration can add hours of playability.
It’s very open-ended. We’re just kind of carving our own path through the game, and we’re going into these levels, we’re fighting, we’re getting things to level up our character, or we’re getting money to buy food that you need, because in the maps, there isn’t a way to heal (we have to have food to heal at certain points).
A typical plathrough might last 40+ hours, so it’s a lot of video game here. But to me, it’s like a buffet. It’s so good. It’s just awesome.
This review is based on a PC code sent to SideQuesting by the publisher. Images and videos courtesy publisher. It originally appeared on The SideQuest Live for January 16, 2026.
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