An expedition doomed from the start sets off to kill the Paintress, in a Belle Époque France repainted into a nightmare.

On gut feeling, the community ranks it high, ahead of nearly eight games out of ten. And the detail goes further still. Art style? First, ahead of absolutely every other game. The rest brushes the top: attachment to the characters, the wish to rediscover it, controller feel, fun, soundtrack, all clear the 95% mark. A profile like this, with no gap at all, is rare. So much so that its raw preference even sits a notch below the quality everyone grants it, across the board.

Next to other role playing games, it makes an uncommon bet: turn based combat, but with reflexes to keep mid fight. And its art direction, praised as the finest of the bunch, carries a huge share of its impact.

So, who is it for? For you if you like an RPG that tells a story, a real visual identity, a combat system that asks you to stay present. Much less if turn based, however lively, has never spoken to you.