I've interacted with a few cool folks out of Russia
Most just want out of the country, assuming they haven't already left.
It's unrealistic and quite cruel to see people talk about how much it sucks to live under a shitty regime and tell them they have to fix it. Like no. They don't. I hope they can get out of its reach. Move elsewhere where they can live better.
Do the Mario RPGs count
I like the timing-based mechanics because they make the fights feel less like glorified menus. Sure menu-based fights can be strategic and entertaing, but sooner or later you'll end up in grind city just mashing the confirm button to see number go up. Not a thing in the likes of Paper Mario and Bug Fables.