After a year of reflection, The Thirsty Mage Newsletter is back with renewed purpose and a clear vision.

Our goal is to deliver useful, engaging content every month. In an age where video dominates, we're embracing the power of the written word, enhanced by digital media, to cut through the noise and deliver a focused, curated collection of important news, thoughtful reviews, and compelling retrospectives.

Each issue will feature not only the latest gaming news and reviews, but also a look back at timeless classics and hidden gems that deserve to be remembered.

We hope you enjoy this new chapter of the newsletter. If you do, please share it with a friend!

For years, the original Octopath Traveler was the punchline of countless jokes on our podcast. Its lack of interaction between the eight protagonists became a running gag whenever game design choices were discussed.

To our surprise and delight, the sequel not only addressed those issues, it exceeded all expectations. Octopath Traveler II impressed us with its industry-leading combat system, stunning visuals, and expertly crafted storylines. It didn’t just raise the bar for the series; it set a new standard for the entire RPG genre.

Now, Octopath Traveler is a series that has earned our full attention, so much so that I literally jumped out of my chair during the Nintendo Partner Direct when the latest entry was announced.

As I climbed back into my chair, my excitement quickly turned to disappointment when I learned the game was based on a mobile title. The overwhelmingly negative reception of Various Daylife, despite being developed by the same team, was reason enough to stay far away from that release.

Thankfully, Square Enix has confirmed that Zero is not just a mobile port, but a full-fledged rebuild from the ground up.

Everything revealed so far screams Game of the Year contender. From a character creation system that puts you directly in the protagonist’s shoes, to a town-building mechanic that lets you create your own community and team of fighters, Zero is shaping up to be something special.

Add to that the return of arguably the best turn-based combat system in the genre, now expanded to let you build a party of eight from a pool of over 30 characters, and the hype feels well-earned.

In a year that’s been relatively light on standout releases, the final quarter is more than making up for it. Hopefully, you’ve managed to save a bit after Trails in the Sky: First Chapter and Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles because this latest 2D-HD title looks like another must-have.

This will be our little corner to talk about some of our favorite items and weapons we’ve found, acquired, or pillaged over the years. It could be something super iconic or maybe something little known that holds a special spot in your memories. The idea is to highlight a few per Newsletter but with the help of you, the readers! Submissions will be fielded on Discord, more info on that to come.

The Harlequin Crest, or most commonly known as “Shako”, was the first piece of gear I thought about when brainstorming this segment. A simple teal green cloth hat, but one that held many stat boosts that almost any character would be happy to use. +2 To All Skills is the highlight, but it held plenty of other beneficial stats including 50% Magic Find (which helps better loot to fall). 

I’ve acquired Shakos in the original release of the game via trades. Generally it wasn’t insanely costly to trade for, but I had never found one in the wild. That changed with the release of Resurrected when I finally had one drop off of Mephiesto. Nothing quite feels like finally seeing that unidentified unique item drop and it’s a freaking Shako! Though it’s been a while since I’ve played, my Sorc still has that teal rag draped on her head.

This one is probably an item that not many people will remember offhand even if you were playing WoW during The Burning Crusader era. It’s an item that you can actually purchase for just under 15 gold from a vendor in Shattrath City, a major city accessible to everyone. The only catch is you must be at revered level reputation with the Lower City, a faction within the game. In order to achieve this, you had to grind out dungeons and quests.

In the grand scheme of things it’s a solid starter trinket to use as a stepping stone to higher content, but as a new player finally reaching the end game, it was my first targeted item to acquire. I remember grinding out dungeons for what seemed like forever, but in retrospect was probably not as long as I remember. Regardless, I won’t soon forget the feeling of purchasing and equipping two of those bad boys on my priest and feeling godly afterwards.

Alright alright.. if anyone knows me, they know my love of Final Fantasy VII knows no bounds. I figured with the previous selections, got a well known item if you’ve played the game and one probably no one’s ever heard about. So an universally loved one felt like it had its place.

Clearly this one Cloud starts off with at the beginning of the game, so there’s no real significance in acquiring it. But there is just something so damn cool about a sword that big especially with some Materia equipped in its sockets. I’ll forever think of the Buster Sword when thinking of Final Fantasy or just iconic weapons in general and hope to one day wield one myself.

As a self-proclaimed RPG Aficionado, the Fire Emblem series had long been my most glaring omission in an otherwise comprehensive list of completed franchises. Thankfully, a relatively quiet release schedule in 2025 gave me the perfect opportunity to fix that, with six full playthroughs over the course of three months. With such a wide sampling and no recency bias at play, I feel confident in presenting this tier ranking of the Fire Emblem games I’ve tackled, from the best to the “least best.”

After bingeing so much Fire Emblem in such a short span, one thing became clear: the handheld classics are still unmatched. If you’ve got a Game Boy Advance or a dual-screen system, you have access to the peak of the series.

At the very top sits Shadows of Valentia, and for good reason. It features arguably the strongest lead protagonists, engaging map design, and combat that strikes the perfect balance between challenging and rewarding. Shadow Dragon earns its place just behind it with razor-sharp map design and lean, to the point mechanics. Rounding out the tier is The Blazing Blade, the first Fire Emblem released in the West. Long celebrated as the perfect entry point for newcomers, it delivers consistent, polished gameplay.

What all three share is the heart of Fire Emblem: tense, strategic battles, the defining permadeath mechanic, and none of the relationship gimmicks that would later creep in. Just pure strategy and the challenge of keeping your favorites alive until the final battle.

In the words of Reese Bobby, there ain’t anything wrong with second place. Path of Radiance offers everything you’d want from Fire Emblem: clever maps, rich tactical options, and a solid story. But it simply overstays its welcome, dragging on about 25% longer than it should. Worse, its story doesn’t truly conclude unless you track down its direct sequel on a completely different console. Engage, meanwhile, nails the core combat but is dragged down by an over-the-top anime story and a flood of distractions: relationship building, gacha-inspired mechanics, and a reliance on tropes that keep it from reaching its full potential.

This might seem controversial, given that these are two of the franchise’s most popular entries. But among long-time fans, I’ve found surprising agreement. Both are still good games, but both lean far too heavily in character relationships at the expense of focused strategy. Three Houses is the clearest example, with its school setting resembling something straight out of Persona. The social-sim elements drag on far too long, overshadowing the tactical core. Its biggest flaw, though, is forcing players who want the full experience to replay the same lengthy campaign three times, with the first 35 hours of each route playing out exactly the same regardless of your choice of house.

Awakening is remembered fondly for revitalizing the franchise, but its emphasis on romance, pairings, and “future children” mechanics feel like a distraction from the quality strategic gameplay.

If any of the Fire Emblem games could be considered bad, the finger would quickly be pointed at this trilogy. Riding high on Awakening’s success, Nintendo looked to cash in on the series by requiring the purchase of two separate games plus DLC in order to play through the multiple storylines. The story is mediocre, and the tacked-on base-building and relationship features feel like distractions rather than meaningful mechanics. Save yourself some time and just leave these ones till the end of your Fire Emblem journey.

Thankfully, many more Fire Emblem titles still remain to be played on my Fire Emblem journey. My affinity for handheld classics leave me optimistic about The Binding Blade and The Sacred Stones, while I’m eager to see how the story continues in Radiant Dawn. And, like many fans, I’m still holding out hope for that long-rumored Genealogy of the Holy War remake.

Looking forward, the newly announced Fortune’s Weave seems poised to lean more toward the Persona side of the spectrum with its relationship mechanics, but time will tell.

Regardless of where your allegiances lie in the Fire Emblem discourse, the thing all fans of the franchise can agree on is that Intelligent Systems knows how to make a great strategy game. Whether you prefer the no distraction tactics of the classics or the character-driven modern entries, Fire Emblem’s legacy is built on deep, rewarding strategy that continues to stand the test of time.

With so many new releases and an ever-growing backlog looming over me, it’s tough to decide what to play next. In fact, I’ve cut nearly everything from consideration for now and narrowed my focus to just three Final Fantasy titles. I like to think of myself as a big FF guy, but my track record of completed entries doesn’t exactly back that up. So here’s my battle plan to fix that.

As I settle into my mid-forties, I often find myself reminiscing about a time when the video game industry looked very different from today. Twenty-five years ago, the 2D traditions of the 1990s had largely faded, giving way to the bold new world of 3D rendering that defined the turn of the millennium. Few companies embodied this transition better than the RPG powerhouse, Square.

On the PlayStation, Square was at the height of its creative output. Final Fantasy IX served as a nostalgic return to the series’ roots after the futuristic tones of VII and VIII. With its storybook aesthetic, lighthearted cast, and poignant exploration of mortality through the character of Vivi, the game became a fitting sendoff for the franchise’s PlayStation era. It also felt like a bittersweet goodbye to the 2D turn-based RPGs of the NES and SNES generations that so many of us had grown up with.

That same year, Chrono Cross pushed in a more experimental direction. As the follow-up to Chrono Trigger, it embraced the concept of parallel worlds, featured a large roster of playable characters, and delivered one of the most celebrated soundtracks in RPG history. For players seeking something darker and more mature, Vagrant Story offered a moody dungeon-crawling experience full of intricate weapon customization, political intrigue, and an art style that gave it a distinct identity.

Square wasn’t the only developer making waves. Atlus expanded its cult-favorite Persona series in the West with Persona 2: Eternal Punishment. Blending urban horror, psychological themes, and its signature demon negotiation system, the game delivered an experience that felt strikingly different from the traditional fantasy RPG mold.

Meanwhile, Sega’s Dreamcast was home to some of very influential RPGs of the era. Skies of Arcadia transported players to a world of floating islands and sky pirates, balancing high adventure with turn-based battles and airship exploration. Alongside it, Grandia II refined the series’ acclaimed battle system while offering one of the console’s most praised narratives. Perhaps the most groundbreaking of the short lived system was Phantasy Star Online, the first console MMORPG. With its accessible design and cooperative play, it introduced countless players to the idea of online RPGs from the comfort of their living room, laying the groundwork for a sub-genre’s future.

The PC landscape was equally monumental. Blizzard released Diablo II, a game that came to define the action-RPG subgenre with its addictive loot grind and endlessly replayable cooperative multiplayer. BioWare responded with Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn, a masterclass in storytelling, character depth, and tactical Dungeons & Dragons combat which is still regarded as one of the finest Western RPGs ever made. Not to be outdone, Black Isle Studios delivered Icewind Dale, a more combat-focused Infinity Engine RPG that ensured PC players had no shortage of rich, immersive adventures.

Looking back, it’s astonishing to realize just how stacked the RPG release calendar was in the year 2000. Nearly every major developer produced a title that not only shaped the genre’s trajectory but continues to be celebrated today. One day, when I’m sitting in a retirement home with hours to reflect on my collection, I’m certain the year 2000 will still stand out as one of the greatest years in RPG history.

This past summer, I stumbled upon what might be the greatest social media post of all time:

“Think not of the games you’ve bought as a ‘to be played’ pile. Instead, think of your backlog as a wine cellar. You collect games to be played at the right time, the right place, and the right mood.”
— Deku Deals

The quote, a riff on a similar post from an Amazon employee about books, hit me as hard as a Sabin suplex. And the game that immediately came to mind? Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions, a title I had attempted to play three times before, never making it more than a few hours in.

But with the upcoming release of the Ivalice Chronicles just a few months away, I decided to give it one final shot. This time, everything finally clicked. Final Fantasy Tactics has earned its share of praise over the years, including this glowing review from Jordan in our Ivalice Chronicles edition:

Still, a game is only as good as your ability to connect with it. And for me, that connection came thanks to some timely advice from the Retronauts crew:
The real joy of Final Fantasy Tactics lies not in the story missions, but in the random battles.

That may sound strange at first, but it makes perfect sense once you're in the thick of it. The heart of the game is in unlocking job classes and earning points to learn new abilities. Random encounters scale with your highest-level character, while story missions have fixed difficulty. This means you can grind at your own pace, tailor your progression, and approach tougher story missions with a stronger, more versatile team.

Best of all, the grinding never feels like a chore. Every battle leads to visible, meaningful progress, whether it's unlocking a new class, mastering an ability, or just experimenting with different party setups. What might seem like filler in other games becomes core to the experience here.

After years of hearing Final Fantasy Tactics praised as a top-10 RPG of all time, I finally get it.

As for which version is best? That debate is far from over. War of the Lions includes expanded content not found in the original, while the upcoming Ivalice Chronicles version features updated visuals and modern quality-of-life improvements.

But regardless of the version, Final Fantasy Tactics is a masterpiece, one worth returning to again and again. Hopefully, you’ll find the magic in fewer than four tries.

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