Phantasy Star IV is one of those classic RPGs that still holds up—especially with this brutal "Hell Mode" hack. You start as Chaz, a rookie bounty hunter who quickly gets dragged into way bigger problems than he signed up for. The story kicks off simple (save your planet, etc.), but it spirals into this wild sci-fi/fantasy mix with ancient tech, psychic powers, and some surprisingly dark twists.

Combat’s where the hack really changes things. Enemies hit hard, and you’ll actually need to strategize instead of mashing attack. Macros help speed up turn inputs, but picking the wrong spell or technique at the wrong time can wipe your party fast. The pixel art and animations still look gorgeous, especially the over-the-top combo attacks later on.

If you’ve played the original, this version forces you to actually engage with mechanics you might’ve ignored before. If you haven’t? Well, good luck—but it’s worth the pain for one of the Genesis’ best RPGs.