The Most-Anticipated RPGs Of 2024 And Beyond https://ift.tt/eoS1TJp
2024 looks to be another strong year for RPGs, and what's striking this coming year is the variety that the genre now encompasses. While RPGs were once defined narrowly as medieval adventures with turn-based combat, now RPGs can be science-fiction, fantastical, quirky, or even just slice-of-life. This year's crop of RPGs includes big names like Final Fantasy VII and League of Legends, along with cult favorites like the return of Dragon's Dogma and a new entry in the Mana series, across PC, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch. These are just a selection of the RPGs that will keep us whiling away the hours well into 2025.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - January 26, 2024
The next entry in the Like a Dragon (aka Yakuza) series looks to be a huge departure, and not just because it takes place in Hawaii. This one stars both series protagonists, Ichiban and Kiryuu, as they make a life on the tropical island. On top of the usual combat and minigames of Like a Dragon, a major new side-activity has you managing a resort and turning a profitable business. That looks ambitious enough that it could almost support its own game, so this one is sure to keep you busy gathering wealth, uh, infinitely.
Persona 3 Reload - February 2, 2024
The Persona series has exploded in global popularity in recent years, leading many series fans to wishcast for Persona 3 to be given the star treatment it deserves. Sega is delivering this year with Persona 3 Reload, an version that overhauls the graphics, adds modernized and quality-of-life features from more recent Persona games, and adds new social and simulation portions.
Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story - February 21, 2024
The popular MOBA League of Legends has been branching out into other games, genres, and even animated series. Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story is the next genre experiment for the franchise, incorporating the characters and world into a cozy RPG. After an unfortunate portal accident, your town is thrown into chaos, and aren't you just the one to fix it? You'll gather crafting materials, make friends, go fishing in magical portals, and more as you build a life in the bandlewoods. It sports an adorable (and very polished) pixel art style to boot.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth - February 29, 2024
When Square Enix announced a Final Fantasy VII remake that would be coming in multiple parts, fans thought they knew what to expect. That assumption was shattered when the game released with a metatextual plot that subverted expectations. All bets are off for the follow-up, Rebirth, which encompasses the time period in the story just after the party leaves Midgar. We've already seen some of what this entry will entail, but the story could also splinter in wild new directions. All of this is delivered with the refined, active combat of FF7 Remake, along with new playable characters.
Unicorn Overlord - March 8, 2024
Vanillaware is following up its critically acclaimed 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim with a tactical RPG that features its signature lush 2D sprite art. On the continent of Fevrith, an exiled prince seeks to unite the kingdoms against the general who staged a coup against him. Your combat units are formed out of multiple party members with different classes, letting you move them freely throughout the battlefield and then do battle when your units meet opposing forces.
Dragon's Dogma 2 - March 22, 2024
The cult hit Dragon's Dogma is finally getting a sequel this year, and it's set to expand on everything that made the first game such an enduring hit. You'll play as an Arisen, a hero with a mystical connection to a dragon, as you intercede in a conflict between kingdoms. Assisting you along the journey is your Pawn, a non-playable character who you can customize to complement your own skills and playstyle. You'll also be able to recruit two additional Pawns from other players to round out your party. Capcom is aiming to recapture the magic of the first game while refining the rough edges and implementing ideas that it couldn't at the time. We won't have to wait long to see the results, as it's due in March.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes - April 23, 2024
When the creator of Suikoden emerged with an ambitious idea and a Kickstarter in 2020, it was quick to gain full funding from hungry RPG fans. Four years later, the game is finally preparing to release, and it looks promising. Like Suikoden, Eiyuden Chronicle promises a massive roster and a gripping story revolving around innocents caught up in a war between kingdoms. A prologue game called Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising was released in 2022 to help set the stage and debut the world of the new franchise.
Visions of Mana - Summer 2024
The first new console Mana game in years, Visions of Mana looks set to bring the series into the modern era. A dedicated segment during a recent Xbox Developer Direct showed plenty of gameplay, focusing especially on how classic Mana monsters have been visually updated and modeled for use in the 3D game, and a new (and adorable) rideable animal companion. So far the story has been left a mystery, but everything we've seen indicates Square Enix is recapturing the bright, cartoonish visuals the series is known for.
Avowed - Fall 2024
Obsidian Entertainment made its debut under new ownership with The Outer Worlds, a spacefaring RPG with satirical elements reminiscent of the Fallout series. For its follow-up, it's going back to more traditional fantasy tropes with Avowed, a sword-and-sorcery RPG that retains the first-person perspective and world-building prowess of its other projects. This is bound to be one of Xbox's big releases this year, and it got the star treatment during a recent Developer Direct stream that detailed its characters, dialogue system, combat, and more.
Fantasy Life: The GIrl Who Steals Time - TBA
The Nintendo 3DS cozy RPG Fantasy Life was a modest success, so it's a pleasant surprise to see the series coming back on Nintendo Switch. This new game takes place between time periods as you aim to fix the present by venturing into the past, all while picking a profession and learning skills ranging from cooking to fighting monsters.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail - TBA
The long-running and massive MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV gets even bigger this year with the introduction of Dawntrail, a new expansion that will take you to the continent of Tural. When it launches, Dawntrail will raise the level cap to 100, as well as introduce a new playable race (female Hrothgar) and two new playable classes to master: Viper and Pictomancer. Naturally, the new expansion comes packed with new dungeons, raids, allies and enemies, and updates to existing classes and systems. FFXIV has become a juggernaut in the MMO space and with Dawntrail, that momentum isn't stopping anytime soon.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - 2024
Following right on the heels of a well-regarded remake of Super Mario RPG--the very first time the plucky plumber was translated into the role-playing genre--Nintendo is coming back with a remake of the fan-favorite Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. This was the second game in the Paper Mario series, and by far the most acclaimed, so it only makes sense to bring it back to modern platforms. Known for its rewarding timing-based combat system and large cast of memorable sidekicks, The Thousand-Year Door looks likely to shine on modern platforms.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - 2024
A long-awaited sequel to the game from 2004, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 has had a rocky development, changing key narrative roles and studios throughout its development. It appears this will finally be the year it comes out, giving us another taste of life as a vampire in the World of Darkness, an alternate present where monsters have shaped the course of human history. Set in modern-day Seattle, you'll have to pick your background and vampiric abilities and protect your clan in first-person perspective.
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