Riviera: The Promised Land on GBA is one of those weird little RPGs that sticks with you. You play as Ein, a grim reaper-turned-angel who gets sent to this floating paradise that’s way more messed up than it first seems. The combat’s turn-based but with a twist—you’ve got limited weapon durability, so every swing counts. I remember hoarding my good gear for way too long, only to realize some fights just aren’t worth burning through your best sword.

What really stands out is how much it feels like a visual novel crossed with an RPG. You’ll make dialogue choices that actually matter (got a bad ending my first run because I trusted the wrong fairy), and the pixel art still holds up—especially the eerie, dreamlike locations. The soundtrack’s full of haunting melodies that somehow make grinding for XP less tedious.

It’s not perfect—the inventory system can be frustrating, and some battles feel like trial-and-error puzzles. But there’s something charming about how ambitious it is for a GBA game. If you like RPGs with more atmosphere than mindless combat, this one’s worth digging up.