EZRetro Plays

Tag: Square Enix

  • 🎄 Octopath Traveler 0: The JRPG Gift We’re Getting This Holiday 🎁

    🎄 Octopath Traveler 0: The JRPG Gift We’re Getting This Holiday 🎁

    Here’s some good holiday news for JRPG fans — Octopath Traveler 0 is officially releasing worldwide on December 4, 2025 for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam & Microsoft Store).

    I first got into Orsterra through Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent on mobile. Even if the series already had a big reputation thanks to the first Octopath Traveler back in 2018 on Switch (and later on PC, Xbox, and Stadia), CotC was my entry point. Honestly, it blew me away — not just because it was free-to-play, but because of how much heart it had.

    What really stuck with me wasn’t even the main story, but the character-driven side quests. With so many characters to meet and unlock, I found myself spending hours just following their stories instead of pushing the main plot. The gacha system? It didn’t bother me at all — the sheer number of characters made it feel like I always had something fresh to explore, and I never felt pressured to spend. Add in full voiceovers and an amazing soundtrack, and CotC became one of my favorite mobile RPG experiences.

    I played through three chapters before stepping away after the Solistia update dropped in May 2025. But now, with Octopath Traveler 0 on the horizon, I’m ready to dive back in.

    This isn’t just CotC with the gacha stripped out — Square Enix is reimagining it as a premium, standalone JRPG. You’ll still build a party of eight, but now with more focus on creating your own custom protagonist, rebuilding the burned-down town of Wishvale, and pushing deeper into the series’ signature mix of tactical combat and branching stories.

    For me, Octopath Traveler 0 feels like a dream come true. Imagine a game that carries the spirit of Suikoden with its wide cast of recruitable characters, mixes in the Break & Boost combat system from CotC, and tops it off with pixel-style graphics that bring back memories of my old Final Fantasy favorites. It’s basically the perfect mix for the holidays — the kind of RPG I’d love to sink into with a cup of warm cocoa on a cold December night.

    And the timing? Perfect. Launching in December, it feels like Square Enix is setting Octopath Traveler 0 up to be the holiday JRPG event of the year. Hopefully, there won’t be any last-minute hiccups like what happened with Konami’s Suikoden I & II HD Remaster, which was supposed to drop in December but got pushed all the way to March.

    If you’ve been waiting for a story-driven JRPG without the gacha strings attached, Octopath Traveler 0 should definitely be in your holiday carts. This just might be the JRPG gift we all needed for 2025.

    🎅 Holiday Hype: Quick Facts on Octopath Traveler 0 🎄

    • Release Date: December 4, 2025 (worldwide)
    • Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam & Microsoft Store)
    • Developer / Publisher: Acquire & Square Enix
    • Genre: Turn-based JRPG (premium, no gacha)
    • Story Setup: Starts in Wishvale, a burned town you’ll rebuild as part of your journey
    • Protagonist: Custom-created hero instead of 8 separate storylines
    • Combat: Break & Boost system returns, now with 8-character party battles
    • Town-Building: Place structures, recruit townsfolk, and expand your base
    • Presentation: Full voice acting, expanded soundtrack, and HD-2D pixel art visuals
    • Monetization: 100% premium, no gacha or RNG pulls

    🔥 I can already see this one being the perfect holiday binge — what about you? Planning to pick it up day one, or waiting to see first reviews?

  • A Beginner’s Guide to The Last Remnant’s Union System – Explained the Way I Understand It

    A Beginner’s Guide to The Last Remnant’s Union System – Explained the Way I Understand It

    Through the years, whenever my buddies ask me what game I’m grinding on my phone that feels long and epic, one of my top answers has been The Last Remnant Remastered on mobile.

    Now, don’t get it twisted—I’m no pro at this game. In fact, I’d still call myself a beginner even after all the hours I’ve sunk into it. But maybe that’s exactly why I want to talk about it. Because when I first picked it up, I was just as lost as anyone else, especially with the game’s biggest curveball: the Union System.

    This is my take on it—not as an expert, but as someone who slowly figured things out and wants to make it a little less confusing for the next beginner diving in.

    So What’s the Deal With the Union System?

    Before The Last Remnant, JRPGs mostly stuck to familiar formulas:

    • Classic Turn-Based (like Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy I–X) → You control each character one by one, pick from “attack, magic, item, defend,” and watch the turns play out. Simple and reliable.
    • ATB – Active Time Battle (popularized by Final Fantasy IV–IX) → Each character has a gauge that fills in real time. When it’s full, you act. It added pressure and speed to the turn-based formula.
    • FFXII’s Gambit System (2006) → This one let you pre-program AI behavior, like “if ally HP < 50%, then cast Cure.” It was revolutionary for letting battles play out more automatically but still under your rules.

    And then along comes The Last Remnant. It said: “Forget controlling individuals—what if you controlled squads instead?”

    That’s the Union System. Instead of giving commands to each party member, you organize them into unions (basically mini-teams). You don’t pick every spell or attack. You issue orders to the entire squad, and they act as one.

    This flipped combat into something totally different. Suddenly, you’re less like a hero leading a party and more like a commander directing armies. Positioning, morale, and squad synergy mattered just as much as raw stats.

    For some players, that shift felt groundbreaking. For others—me included when I first tried it—it felt confusing as hell.

    The Flow of Battle – What You Do Before You Even Swing

    The real fight doesn’t start when you press “attack”—it starts in how you set up your unions. As a beginner, this part felt overwhelming to me because you have to think about:

    • Who leads each union (leaders bring skills and arts)
    • Who fills the squad (soldiers add stats and stability)
    • What formation you’re using (offensive, defensive, or balanced setups)

    And then, once you’re in a dungeon or field, you also have to pay attention to enemy groups. Do you charge them head-on? Try to flank? Or split your unions to keep them from surrounding you?

    This whole “prep before action” makes fights feel more like mini war puzzles. If you mess up the setup, the battle feels 10x harder no matter how strong your characters are.

    Commands – The Clear and the Confusing Ones

    Once the fighting actually starts, the game gives you commands for your unions. Some are straightforward and easy to understand:

    • Attack with combat arts! → your melee moves
    • Attack with mystic arts! → your spells
    • Heal with remedies! → your items and recovery

    But then you get the vague stuff like:

    • Play it by ear
    • Go all out!
    • Wait and see

    And here’s where the frustration kicks in. As a beginner, I remember just staring at those and going, “What am I actually telling my squad to do?”

    How I Learned to Read the Vague Commands

    After a lot of trial and error (and a few rage quits), here’s how I’ve come to understand those vague orders:

    • Play it by ear → Think of it as “do what makes sense.” The union might attack, heal, or buff depending on the situation. Good for balanced teams.
    • Go all out! → Pure offense. They’ll blow AP, use their strongest moves, and ignore healing. Best for when the enemy’s on the ropes.
    • Wait and see → Defensive or conserving mode. They’ll defend, poke with weak moves, or just save AP. Use it when you’re setting up or trying to survive.
    • Save them no matter what! → Your emergency revive/heal button. Everyone drops offense to bring allies back.
    • Keep your HP up! → Focuses on healing and survival above all else.

    Once I started thinking of them like battle moods instead of strict commands, they made a lot more sense.

    Strategy – When to Use What

    Here’s my beginner advice on using these commands without losing your mind:

    • Use “Play it by ear” for balanced unions that can attack and heal. It gives the AI room to adapt.
    • Use “Go all out” when you know you’re safe or you just need raw damage to push through.
    • Use “Wait and see” to stall or when you’re trying to build AP for big moves later.
    • Use “Save them no matter what” sparingly, because sometimes it wastes turns if no one is actually down.
    • Use “Keep your HP up” when facing tough bosses or multiple enemy unions that can shred you in a turn.

    It’s not perfect—you’ll still sometimes scream at your squad for making dumb choices—but it’s part of the chaos that makes this system fun.

    Wrapping It Up – Why I Still Recommend This Game

    Here’s the truth: The Last Remnant is still hard to understand, even today. If you’re new, the Union System will feel overwhelming and the vague commands will confuse you. But once you get past that hump? The game transforms. Battles feel bigger, strategies feel deeper, and experimenting with different unions actually becomes addictive.

    That’s why I keep it on my phone. I’ve spent hours tweaking squads, retrying fights, and just enjoying the controlled chaos of this system. And yeah, the mobile remaster costs around $19.99, which isn’t exactly cheap. But for me? If I dropped twenty bucks and didn’t play it, that would be the real waste.

    So I keep coming back. And maybe that’s the magic of The Last Remnant: it doesn’t hold your hand, but once you start to get it, you’ll want to stick around and keep learning.

  • Mecharashi Review: The Best Front Mission Mobile Game Alternative in 2025

    Looking for Front Mission mobile games that deliver tactical mech combat? Mecharashi (Metal Storm) stands as your only option for authentic Front Mission-style gameplay on mobile devices today. This tactical RPG mobile game brings the legendary part destruction system to your phone.

    Why Square Enix Cancelled Front Mission 2089: Borderscape Mobile Game

    Square Enix announced Front Mission 2089: Borderscape in 2022, partnering with BlackJack Studio to bring the beloved mech strategy game franchise to mobile platforms. Front Mission fans celebrated worldwide. Finally, we’d get tactical mech combat with the series’ signature part destruction system on our phones.

    Then Square Enix pulled the plug in October 2022. The company terminated the deal without providing detailed public explanations, leaving Front Mission mobile game fans empty-handed once again.

    From Cancelled Front Mission to Mecharashi: BlackJack Studio’s Mobile Mech Game

    BlackJack Studio didn’t waste their work. The developer transformed their Front Mission mobile project into Mecharashi, launching it in Japan in October 2024 through HK TenTree Games. Square Enix fought back with a copyright lawsuit in March 2025, claiming BlackJack illegally used Front Mission assets in their new mobile strategy game.



    The legal drama settled by May 2025, and Mecharashi launched globally on July 31, 2025, after hitting 1 million pre-registrations.

    Mecharashi Gameplay: Part Destruction System Like Front Mission Mobile

    Mecharashi delivers what mobile strategy games typically ignore: genuine tactical depth. The mobile mech game builds around a part destruction system that made Front Mission legendary – each mech component has separate hit points, and targeting specific parts becomes your key to victory.

    This tactical combat system defines the entire experience. Need to stop an enemy’s movement? Target the legs. Want to reduce their firepower? Destroy their weapon arms. Going for a quick kill? Focus fire on the torso for an instant takedown. This isn’t just damage dealing – it’s surgical warfare that rewards smart targeting over brute force.


    The mech customization runs deep too. You can build mecha from different body parts, craft backstories for pilots, and paint schemes with over 120 colors. It captures that Front Mission feel of personalizing your war machines.

    But here’s where things get complicated. While the gameplay screams Front Mission, the story doesn’t. You’re not fighting in the political wars and corporate conspiracies that defined the series’ narrative identity. Instead, Mecharashi creates its own universe that feels more generic.



    However, the mobile game nails the gacha integration better than most mobile adaptations. The concept of supply drops makes perfect sense for acquiring new mech parts and pilots – it feels like military logistics rather than a casino. Characters get proper backstories that explain their roles, and the mech acquisition system fits naturally into the war setting.

    Best Mobile Mech Games 2025: Why Most Tactical RPGs Fail

    Search for Front Mission-like mobile games, and you’ll find disappointment. Most mobile mech games 2025 fall into these categories:

    – Action mobile games that abandon turn-based strategy entirely
    – Gacha collection games with simplified combat systems
    – Casual strategy games that strip away tactical complexity

    Into the Breach offers tactical mech combat, but plays more like a puzzle game than an RPG. BattleTech mobile exists on mobile platforms, but in limited, simplified forms that don’t capture the full mech strategy game experience.

    BlackJack Studio: The Developer Behind Mecharashi Mobile Game


    BlackJack Studio proved their capability with Langrisser Mobile, which earned $130 million in China alone on iOS over ten months. They understand how to adapt complex strategy games for mobile audiences without destroying their core appeal.

    The studio’s termination from the Front Mission project likely stemmed from creative control conflicts rather than technical limitations. BlackJack Studio stated the termination happened “in order to have more continuity and control in content creation” – suggesting Square Enix wanted more oversight than the developer’s structure could accommodate.

    Front Mission Mobile Games: Your Only Two Options in 2025

    Want Front Mission gameplay on mobile? You have exactly two paths:

    Option 1: Play Mecharashi
    Get the closest thing to a modern Front Mission mobile experience, built by developers who understand tactical mech combat and mobile platforms.

    Option 2: Emulate Classic Front Mission Games
    Run original Front Mission games through SNES, PlayStation, or PS2 emulators on mobile. You’ll get authentic experiences without mobile adaptations, though touch controls can feel clunky for menu-heavy tactical games.

    Mecharashi Gacha System: Free to Play or Pay to Win?

    Look, we’re not drowning in options here. Square Enix had the chance to give us the Front Mission mobile game we’ve been begging for, and they blew it. BlackJack Studio picked up the pieces and built something that actually respects your intelligence as a strategy gamer.



    But let’s be real – Mecharashi isn’t perfect. Every new weapon, mech part, or pilot comes down to chance pulls from gacha banners. Even throwing real money at the game won’t guarantee you’ll get that specific mech set or ace pilot you’re eyeing. Everything’s a gamble, which stings when you just want to build your dream squad.



    Here’s the thing though – if you’re mainly here for the story mode and tactical combat, you probably won’t need to spend a cent. The game throws plenty of free currency and parts at you through regular play. Learn which banners give you the best odds for what you need, time your pulls right, and optimize your resources. Suddenly that gacha system becomes way more manageable.

    Still, it’s what we’ve got. You can either jump in and enjoy some actual tactical depth on your phone, or keep hoping someone else will magically appear with a better Front Mission clone.

    Front Mission 4 played via NetherSx2 emulator on mobile


    Me? I’m tired of waiting for Square Enix to remember they own one of the best mech franchises ever made. Sometimes you’ve got to take what you can get, and right now, Mecharashi beats scrolling through another page of match-three games pretending to be strategy titles.

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