For the next few days, we’ll be unveiling our 30 best games of 2021 bit by bit. Here’s number 8. 

#8: Fuga – Melodies Of Steel

Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch

We would never have thought a CyberConnect2 game, which is usually an anime license fighter title, would end up on our prestigious list. Honestly we never dream that a new entry in the company’s Tail Bronx series (Tail Concerto, Solatorobo) would even see the light of day. Yet through self-publishing perseverance, we have this lovely if depressing RPG about children and child soldiers on the run from the military in an oppressed war-torn world.

Of course, the motley crew of children do have an ace up their sleeves: a giant ancient tank named the Taranis that is powerful and requires a lot of manpower to run. And if the going gets tough, you even have the option to sacrifice any of the kids for a death-filled Kamehameha blast. The gameplay itself is fun and challenging, since you need to do one entire 20-minute run without any saves whatsoever filled with dangerous battles, limited time to bond with your teammates old and new so that they perform efficiently in a fight, and a depressing-yet-hopeful narrative that’s more heartfelt than subtle.

It’s a shame this CyberConnect2 gem is buried amidst many 2021 indie and mid-tier games; you owe it to yourself as an RPG fan to at least support more genuine efforts like Fuga: Melodies of Steel.