GamesRadar+ Verdict

Reasons to buy

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A decent yarn in a refreshing setting
+
Unashamedly retro mechanics
+
Upgrading your airship

Reasons to avoid

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Lots of brown everywhere
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Still could have adopted more recent ideas
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Yet not quite as nostalgic as it aims for

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There are no prizes for guessing that with a name like Nostalgia, this RPG harks back to the halcyon days when a party of four adventurers turn-based-battled their way through dungeons, earning XP from fights to level up and gain new skills, visiting stores in towns to acquire new kit and… Hold on a minute – nostalgia? It sounds remarkably like 2008/09 to us, years that have seen a bumper crop of RPGs in the ‘classic’ mould.

While the title might be a bit of a misnomer, there’s plenty to like here. Rather than the usual fantasy world setting and derivative plot, the game takes place at the height of the British Empire and the story owes more to Rider Haggard than Hironobu Sakaguchi. You explore and battle in places such as the pyramids, the Tower of Babel and Noah’s Ark, searching for your missing dad, a famed adventurer.

Aside from the usual JRPG trappings, there’s a Skies of Arcadia twist with the inclusion of airships. You pilot yours across the world map to new locations, doing battle with other ships and upgrading the weapons when you can. It’s a pleasing additional layer to what’s a generally decent if somewhat brown-hued game.