Phantasy Star II – Evil Overlord is one of those old-school RPGs that just sticks with you. You start off in this weird sci-fi world where everything feels a little off—like, why are these robots acting so shady?—and before long, you're knee-deep in turn-based battles and cryptic NPC dialogue. The combat’s simple but satisfying, and the dungeons? Brutal. Bring graph paper.

What I love is how it doesn’t hold your hand. You’ll wander into towns with no obvious next step, talk to some guy rambling about "the system," and suddenly you’re trekking across the planet to find a missing part for a spaceship. The story’s got that classic '80s anime vibe—big hair, bigger swords, and a villain who’s probably just misunderstood. Maybe.

It’s janky in places (good luck with the inventory system), but that’s part of the charm. If you’re into retro RPGs with a side of existential dread, this one’s worth the grind.