e never been particularly interested in townspeople. Their existence is just depressingly bleak, standing motionless in hopeful anticipation of some validating interaction from the main character. However, when practically every person you meet in Radiata Stories – from lowly shopkeepers to fabled heroes – is a potential party member with a schedule and life of their own, the whole world suddenly becomes irresistibly engaging.

Granted, this isn’t the first game to offer a dumptruck full of allies; Konami’s Suikoden series has been doing it for years with decent results. But Radiata Stories expands on that franchise’s formula in so many ways that it blows its predecessor out of the water. To think of it simply as a better version of Suikoden actually sells it short, mainly because of the charismatic young protagonist named Jack Russell. He’s impatient, boastful, and oddly magnetic. He punches doors instead of knocking, and kicks objects (and people!) instead of just checking them out. In short, he’s hilarious, and there’s no doubt that his exploits drive the game forward far more than the "save humanity from destruction" plot that kicks in around hour 15.

The delayed onset of the main conflict is just one of the many unconventional choices in the game, and I should warn you, it won’t be for everyone. It is more freeform than most RPGs, so if you’re looking for an arrow to constantly point you in the direction of your objective, look elsewhere. Almost all of the key events are time-triggered, leaving you to freely explore the vibrant world between major happenings. As such, you don’t always know exactly what to do to advance the story – but with a pool of 177 allies to recruit, keeping busy is rarely a problem.

Strangely, even with so many characters, the only one you ever directly control in combat is Jack. There are ways to influence your party, like the command system for giving orders and a cool link mechanic allowing you to regulate formations and coordinate attacks, but battles typically consist of pressing the circle button to make Jack perform a customized combo string…over and over again. It will frustrate players who demand complexity and total control, but I appreciated it for its fast-paced fun.

Radiata Stories is a perfect example of many elements coming together seamlessly to create a compelling whole. It isn’t about the occasionally repetitive combat or the familiar story (which isn’t as predictable as you may initially think). It’s about all of the pleasant surprises along the way, like funny dialogue, a great supporting cast, and Jack’s slow but steady evolution into a decent human being. It’s this mixture of personality and content that earns Radiata Stories a place among Square Enix’s greatest adventures, and certainly the best straight-up RPG so far this year.