Shining Force is one of those games that makes you realize how good turn-based strategy can feel when it’s done right. You start off with just a handful of characters—Max, your sword-wielding hero, and a couple of others—but before long, your army grows with knights, archers, mages, and even weirdly cool units like centaurs and birdmen. The battles are grid-based, but they never drag; positioning matters, and a wrong move can leave your healer exposed.

The pixel art has this warm, colorful charm, especially in the towns where you recruit new allies or buy gear. And yeah, the story’s simple—evil’s rising, you’re the chosen one—but there’s something satisfying about watching your ragtag team slowly turn into an unstoppable force. Pro tip: Don’t sleep on promoting your units when they hit level 10. Some of them get way better upgrades than others.

It’s the kind of game where you’ll lose track of time because “just one more battle” turns into five. If you’ve ever wished Fire Emblem was a little more forgiving or just miss that old-school tactical vibe, this is your fix.