Brave Fencer Musashi

Brave Fencer Musashi is an action RPG from Square in which the player controls the title swordsman Musashi, summoned by a magical ritual to save the kingdom of Allucaneet from the invading Thirteen Bells empire. Unlike the turn-based RPGs Square was famous for at the time, the game builds on fluid real-time action set in a more open 3D world, where between battles you're free to wander the town and talk to its inhabitants.

Throughout the game, Musashi collects abilities called Fusions, taken from defeated enemies and used both to solve puzzles and to fight – from fire attacks to the ability to transform into various animals. The game also works with a time limit in the form of the kingdom's life force, which pushes the player toward efficient progress without being a hard restriction. This mix of action, light RPG progression, and environmental puzzles made the title a refreshing detour from Square's output at the time, which largely built its success on major turn-based series. The art style also combines a cute, storybook look for the characters with a fairly open approach to individual locations, giving the player room to explore and hunt for hidden bonuses outside the main story line.

Although it never reached the popularity of major franchises like Final Fantasy, Brave Fencer Musashi earned a cult reputation precisely for its playfulness and willingness to experiment with genre conventions. On PlayStation, it remains one of the most distinctive titles from Square's late-1990s output.

Why play it: For a fresh blend of action-platforming and RPG progression from a studio best known at the time for turn-based games.