Phantasy Star III is one of those weird, ambitious RPGs that sticks with you—even if it’s not quite as polished as its siblings. You start off with a wedding getting crashed (classic), and before long, you’re jumping between generations, making choices that actually change who your next protagonist is. It’s janky in places—the dungeons feel endless, and the combat’s pretty basic—but there’s something about its mix of sci-fi and fantasy that just works.

The soundtrack’s got that moody Genesis synth vibe, and the pixel art has these little flashes of brilliance, especially in the towns. I won’t lie, the first time I realized my marriage decision affected the next hero’s storyline, I immediately restarted just to see the differences. It’s rough around the edges, but if you’re into old-school RPGs with big ideas, this one’s worth digging into.