Ember Vanguard

Ember Vanguard surprised me. I braced for another tap-to-win RPG, but the combat actually asks you to think. You control a party of four, each with a position on a grid, and enemies punish lazy formations. Stacking a fire debuff before a wind attack does noticeable extra damage, and figuring out these chains is where the fun lives.

The story is nothing groundbreaking — a fractured kingdom, a wandering hero, the usual — but the writing has charm and the side characters carry it. Progression feels fair; I never hit a hard wall that demanded grinding for hours. Gear upgrades are readable, so you always know why a new weapon is better.

My only gripe is the early hours drag before your party opens up. Push past chapter three and the game finally shows what it can do. For a mobile RPG, the tactical depth is more than I expected.

What we liked

• Grid positioning that rewards planning
• Elemental combos that feel clever to pull off
• Generous progression without grind walls