Neutopia

When you want to experience a grand adventure in the spirit of classic action RPGs on the PC Engine, Neutopia is the right place to start. This action adventure makes no secret of its inspiration by early top-down titles and leads the player through a sprawling world full of dungeons, puzzles and enemies.

The gameplay rests on exploring a spherical fantasy world divided into several regions, each of which hides its own dungeon. A hero named Jazeta gradually collects better weapons, protective items and key artifacts that open the way onward. Combat unfolds in real time from a top-down view, complemented by solving spatial puzzles and searching for hidden passages. The gradual strengthening of the character and the uncovering of the map give the game a pleasant rhythm of discovery.

On the PC Engine, Neutopia looked colorful and clean. The world is varied, alternating between forests, caves and fortresses, and each dungeon has its own theme and a boss who guards an important item. The pace is balanced between action and exploration, so the game neither overwhelms with excessive complexity nor grows dull through directness. For owners of the system, it was one of the few larger adventure experiences the machine offered.

It was precisely the absence of similarly styled games on the platform that made Neutopia a significant title. It received a sequel and, within the PC Engine catalog, earned a reputation as a solid representative of the action-adventure genre. For fans who loved exploring dungeons and gradually acquiring new abilities, it was a welcome expansion of the library.

In the retro community, Neutopia is valued as an honest, well-playing adventure worth discovering even today. If you enjoy the slow unveiling of a world, solving puzzles and the classic sense of adventure, it is an ideal candidate for longer evenings.

Why play it: An honest top-down action adventure with dungeon exploration and a gradually strengthening hero, ranking among the best of its kind on the PC Engine.