Phantasy Star II – Amia’s Adventure is one of those classic Sega Genesis RPGs that somehow still feels fresh. You start off as Amia, this badass space explorer with a sword (because why not?), and right away you’re thrown into a world of weird alien tech and shady government conspiracies. The first planet’s got this grimy cyberpunk vibe—think neon-lit streets and shady dealers selling gear you probably can’t afford yet.

Combat’s turn-based but fast, and the enemies hit hard if you’re not careful. I remember getting wrecked by some floating eyeball monster in the first dungeon because I didn’t stock up on healing items. Classic mistake. The music’s this killer synth soundtrack that somehow makes grinding for EXP less painful.

If you’ve played the original Phantasy Star games, you’ll recognize some of the mechanics—dungeon crawling, cryptic NPC hints, that one shopkeeper who overcharges for everything. But Amia’s story stands on its own, and the writing’s got just enough cheese to make it fun without being cringe. It’s the kind of game where you lose track of time because you just need to see what’s on the next planet.

Definitely worth a play if you’re into retro RPGs with a sci-fi twist.