Basted

About

Basted follows two bounty hunters, Ryeza and Anita, as they defend their village from monsters and get dragged into a political struggle against an oppressive Empire. While it wears an RPG coat with a medieval setting and town-dungeon exploration, the core gameplay is pure action. You switch between the two heroes during combat, using Ryeza’s jumps and Anita’s fire attacks to clear waves of enemies. Each character has distinct special moves and dash attacks that scale with a power meter. Progression focuses on mastering timing and strategy rather than grinding stats or collecting gear. The game stands out for its fully voiced anime-style cutscenes, which were rare on 16-bit systems in 1994. It sheds traditional RPG mechanics entirely, opting for fast-paced battles with no inventory or currency. Fans of hybrid action-RPGs might find its approach refreshing, though its Turbografx-16/PC Engine CD legacy keeps it niche. Developer JTS packed a surprisingly deep story into a format that prioritizes combat flair over number-crunching.