Faria

Faria is a top-down action RPG that blends real-time exploration with the story-driven structure of a traditional console adventure. Released for the NES in 1991, it was developed by Game Arts and published in North America by Nexoft. The game places you in a fantasy world threatened by danger, where progress depends on exploring its towns, wilderness areas, caves, and other hazardous locations while piecing together information from the people you meet.

Rather than relying solely on menu commands, Faria lets you take direct control of the hero during exploration and combat. A sword provides the main form of attack, giving encounters a more immediate feel than a strictly turn-based role-playing game. Enemies occupy the same overhead playfield as the player, so positioning and timing matter as you move through narrow passages and open areas. Equipment, items, and growing strength help make later parts of the journey more manageable, while conversations and discoveries guide you toward new destinations.

The game’s world has the familiar rhythm of an old-school adventure: enter a town for clues and supplies, venture back into the surrounding countryside, search dangerous areas for a way forward, and return with the knowledge or item needed to continue. Its presentation is unmistakably 8-bit, but the combination of action and RPG elements gives Faria a character of its own. The pace can feel deliberate, especially when you are mapping out where to go next, yet that slower approach makes each useful clue and hard-won discovery more satisfying.

For players who enjoy lesser-known NES adventures, Faria offers an intriguing alternative to more famous action RPGs. You can play online on your browser through RetroCloud and experience this unusual Game Arts release without needing the original cartridge.