Platform: PC
Genre: Action RPG, 2D, Pixel, Retro

If there’s one thing you can count on from indie PC gaming, it’s that there is no shortage of quaint action RPGs with 2D pixel artwork and chill action role-playing game grinding mundaneness. Add Philna Fantasy, a new title from indie devs Sailike Games that isn’t pushing trends but rather just sticking to the norm and hitting the baseline.

Have Sword, Will Quest For Food

Philna Fantasy starts off with your hero jettisoned from their scifi spaceship and stranded on a backwards fantasy land. From there, you end up joining an adventurer’s guild and rise up the ranks doing quests, helping out the town you’re in, and uncovering a conspiracy involving black magic and long-lost demons. Not the most riveting of stuff, but there’s a fast-forward button in case you want to jump straight to the action.

And there’s a lot of that in 2D form: you move, you dodge, you pull off basic and special attacks based on the class you picked, and then get random loot drops that you can either keep or sell off. Or dismantle for more parts and crafting items as Philna Fantasy has the obligatory make-your-own-stuff option that’s prevalent in 2D pixel art indie games like, well, most of the indie action RPG catalogue from past years you can easily filter and search on Steam.

I’m trying not to be too dismissive here, but my 20 hours with the game trying out different classes left me with a “been there, done that” impression, though it’s not entirely meaningless. The controls and actions on controller are tight and fine. The specials your characters pull off are pretty useful for all fighting situations; my dual-wielding white-haired rogue can teleport to nearby enemies for a quick hard slash that deals massive damage, and my perfect dodges give me attack boosts aplenty. The mage and ranger have good ranged options if you prefer your fights done from afar, though don’t expect to do as much damage as the rogue and berserker.

The game also brings in the Magic Belt; you can equip passive stat boosts and trigger abilities that can help immensely. The catch? You have to kill a good amount of enemies to unlock enemy cards that are slotted onto the Magic Belt. The more types you find and amount you kill, the more slots and card types you unlock and power up. It’s a grind, sure, but what action RPG isn’t? At the very least, the chillax attitude of Philna Fantasy and cheery atmosphere help a lot in making this title the kind you jump in for half an hour, take a break, and then come back again while having your favourite Spotify podcast on. Plus, the boss fights are pretty fun and can test your mettle a tad, while some of the dungeon puzzles do make you think a little bit and test out your observation and pathfinding skills. The latter isn’t convoluted, but isn’t simple enough for you to breeze through.

Fantasy Zoned

Philna Fantasy is a serviceable 2D action RPG with decent pixelated aesthetics and comes with a fun-if-repetitive core gameplay loop. Go on quests, earn rewards, build and craft better weapons, pray to the RnG that you get better weapons over time, and then deal with big badass enemies with Zelda-like boss patterns that’s sure to keep you invested. The Magic Belt system lets you customize how your passive buffs pan out if you put in the grinding work, and it works for all classes you pick and share. You could do worse than with Philna Fantasy, especially with its current price tag. Just think of it like a triple-decker sandwich with white bread and regular deli meat: it’s not remarkable or game-changing, but it’s comfort food and satisfies your craving enough.

Final Score: 60/100

Review copy provided by publisher.