Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom is the cutest retro RPG

I was sent Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.

Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom has finally come to the West, and fans of the original can now enjoy this cute and quirky RPG on their favorite modern console.

Synopsis

Though true love is the destination, there are many magical paths that can lead you to it. Experience the stories of Cornet, the queen of Marl Kingdom, her daughter Kururu, the “Tomboy Princess,” and other lovestruck souls in Marl Kingdom, all of which span the past, present, and future of the Rhapsody series. Tales of true love both new and old await you, including the fate of Kururu’s impending marriage, two star crossed lovers and their warring families, and the journey of Cornet’s mother, Cherie. The trials and tribulations each of these characters face will put their hearts to the test like never before. Will true love truly prevail?

Gameplay

Combat is straightforward, but the randomness of the ally attacks is what makes it exciting. I loved it when my little buddies took the initiative and took the last hit on a boss I had trouble with. There is a grind like there is in most games of the genre, but there is an auto-battle feature that makes it manageable.

If you enjoy retro RPGs, especially from the early 2000s, you’re going to want to look into this game. While the game runs fine, it feels like an older game. This isn’t a criticism, but it is something to think about. The PC port runs fine, but there are some stutters in performance, and some of the interactions are a bit finicky. I enjoyed it for the cute retro experience that it is.

Story

The story is adorable. I love the tone, and the musical numbers were appreciated. I haven’t played any other games in the Rhapsody saga, but I didn’t feel the need. The story is relatively self-contained except for a few references to previous titles. Even when these references showed up, I didn’t feel like it took away from experience. The characters are all unique and adorable, and I enjoyed the general silliness of the adventure.

Conclusion

Despite some minor performance issues, I enjoyed the game. The art is cute, the music is fantastic, and the gameplay is relaxing. I loved reliving the classic era of RPG and found the game’s quirks a refreshing change of pace. If you enjoy retro RPGs and want something cute to fool around in, check out Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom.

You can pick up Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom for $49.99 on PlayStation, Switch, and Steam ($24.99). There is also a collectors edition available on the official NIS store for fans of the series who want some extra goodies. The bundle includes: