Phantasy Star II – Anne’s Adventure is one of those old-school RPGs that just sticks with you. The English translation makes it way more accessible, but it still has that classic Sega Genesis charm—pixelated sci-fi cities, weird alien monsters, and turn-based battles that feel surprisingly strategic once you get into them.

You play as Anne, who’s way more interesting than your typical silent protagonist. She’s got attitude, a laser gun, and a mystery to solve. The first hour throws you into this weird mix of futuristic tech and fantasy dungeons, which somehow works. The combat’s a bit slow by modern standards, but the enemy designs are so bizarre (in a good way) that I didn’t mind grinding a little.

If you’re into retro RPGs, this is a deep cut worth playing—just don’t expect QoL stuff like auto-saves or fast travel. You’ll be drawing your own maps for some of those maze-like dungeons, and honestly? That’s part of the charm.