Upcoming RPGs of 2015: Day Four
It has been a long week. We have already covered 120 of the Upcoming RPGs of 2015. How about we cover 40 more? We have just one more day after this, so let's get to it!
Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Five
Omega Quintet (PS4)
Developed by: Compile Heart
Release Date: First Half
The first JRPG exclusive to the Playstation 4 will be making its way to the West this Spring. Omega Quintet follows a group of five idol Songstresses who are tasked to save the world from evil. The game features turn-based combat, character customization, dungeon exploration, and even idol live concerts that will encourage player participation.
One Way Trip (PS4/Vita)
Developed by: Beret
Release Date: TBA
Promoted as a "hallucinatory death game", One Way Trip is a sidescrolling RPG that will take players on a wildly surreal journey set in a sci-fi future where most of the people that you know are on the verge of death after the populace has been the victim of a widespread attack after the water supply was poisoned and during the six hours before death, everyone is experiencing hallucinatory effects.
Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy (Vita)
Developed by: Experience
Release Date: April 14th (NA), April 17th (EU)
From the creators of Demon Gaze comes another first-person dungeon crawler but with a science fiction theme. Set in future Tokyo (where all good things happen) with real-life locations in cyberpunk style, the city is threatened by the existence of monsters named Variants who have emerged from a dimension known as the Abyss. To investigate, the government has established a group called the Code Physics Agency made up of teenagers who have been genetically modified to make them useful in battle against the Variants.
Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines (Vita)
Developed by: Alfa System
Release Date: TBA
Known as "Over My Dead Body 2" in Japan, you take charge of an ancient Japanese clan that have been cursed with a maximum lifespan of just 2 years. Your task is to lead the clan on their quest to lift the curse and enlist the help of gods inspired by Japanese mythology to make sure each new generation of the clan is more powerful than the last.
Owlboy (PC)
Developed by: D-Pad Studio
Release Date: TBA
A beautiful 2D adventure title with light RPG elements, Owlboy captured me the moment I set my eyes on it. While the game has gone through some changes since its original demo was released almost four years ago, it still retains a lot of the same charm and impressive pixelated design that I love. I just really want this game to be released already so that I can finally play it!
Pale Blue (PC/Mac/Linux)
Developed by: Tinker Games
Release Date: Q3
A 2D sidescrolling Metroidvania with a story-driven narrative with plenty in the way of character progression and branching storylines and multiple endings. A young girl named Ellen is kidnapped by an evil organization known as Cocoon to aid in the rebirth of the planet. In order to do that, she will be able to transform into different forms each with their own abilities (unlocked through a deep skill tree). There will be a collection of playable characters to choose from over the course of the game.
Paradise Lost: First Contact (PC/Mac/Linux/WiiU/Ouya)
Developed by: Asthree Works
Release Date: Summer
An unusual adventure RPG that mixes action and stealth gameplay, you control an alien planet that has survived the flight on an asteroid after crash landing on a planet. After being subjected to scientific experiments in a secret bio-engineering facility, you try to escape while also learning about this mysterious organization. The RPG elements are brought to the forefront by allowing you to control the evolution of the plant with different skills and other means of progression.
Pathfinder Online
Developed by: GoblinWorks
Release Date: TBA (currently in early enrollment)
A free-to-play MMORPG that is part sandbox, part Theme Park-style design, Pathfinder Online allows players complete control over the game's economy allowing a deep trading system and the ability to craft and sell items. Players will also be able to create their own settlements and fortifications that can grow into enormous kingdoms. It is how these kingdoms grow that will determine what randomly generated encounters and resources that will appear in the surrounding wilderness.
Persona 5 (PS4/PS3)
Developed by: Atlus
Release Date: TBA
It has been a little over a year since Persona 5 was originally announced, and we still have very little to go off of for the next entry in the wildly popular subseries. While the producer has stated we should be learning more very soon (likely the concert they’re throwing in Japan in February), we do know from a recent interview that the game will have focus on a feeling of entrapment that can only be destroyed through the bonds between humans and the inherent strength of their individuality. We will have to wait and see what the team has in mind attempting to set it apart from the rest of the series.
Pillars of Eternity (PC/Mac/Linux)
Developed by: Obsidian Entertainment
Release Date: March 26th
Formerly Project Eternity, Obsidian’s upcoming isometric, party-based RPG looking to bring back all the things that made those old Western RPGs like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment, and it helps that the developers are made up of some of the key creators of those games. The game will including many exciting features including a highly customizable main character that can be the most good or most evil person the player wants them to be. There will be a wide variety of environments to peruse, and many towns and dungeons to explore.
Prodigy (PC)
Developed by:
Release Date:
Prodigy is a turn-based strategy RPG built on Unreal Engine 4 that uses actual figurines made with NFC technology placed on a physical play board similar to the one used with Skylanders but made much more meaningful with its varied functionality. Depending on the way you place the figurines on the board, different benefits and strategic implications are represented by different colored lights. Have an Area of Effect spell? The board will light up with red squares to show where the attack will land. Gameplay is used in tandem with "Arcana" cards to give orders to the soldiers in your army locked in 1v1 combat. It's fascinating game worthy of attention if anything for the technology this team has created.
Project Light (PC/Mac/Linux/Vita/Ouya)
Developed by: neko.works
Release Date: TBA
A turn-based Japanese-inspired RPG made a single developer whose aim is to take the traditional trappings of the genre and bring it into the modern era. A young boy Haru who lives deep underground sets off on an adventure with a band of friends to uncover the mysteries of the world and to take on the evil empire that . The world has a cyberpunk setting that mixes other environments in with plenty of room for exploration and discovery.
Project Phoenix (PC/Mac/Linux/PS4/Vita/Mobile)
Developed by: Creative Intelligence Arts
Release Date: June
A Japanese RPG that mixes real-time strategy elements with squad-based gameplay, Project Phoenix is perhaps best known as the first Japan-based game to be successful on Kickstarter. And lo, many a company started to sit up and take notice from the land of the Rising Sun (making me a very happy person).
Project Theralon
Developed by: Infernum
Release Date: TBA
A free-to-play sandbox MMORPG made using CryEngine 3 that will be playable within a browser (the fuuuuuture) or a dedicated game client. With a story written by New York times bestselling author David Farland (Runelords), the game will feature city-building, letting you create entire cities with a wide variety of customizable options.
Radio the Universe
Developed by: 6e6e6e
Release Date:
It feels like I have been excited for this game forever. There hasn’t been a lot of information about this title outside of the monthly Kickstarter backer updates, but much like Hyper Light Drifter, the true appeal is the look of this game. Looking like a cyberpunk Legend of Zelda, the true challenge in this game is the environment: there are a lot of traps to avoid and hazards to endure. The world inside the game is expansive and cohesive, allowing players to advance through it in multiple ways.
Rainbow Skies (PS3/Vita)
Developed by: EastAsiaSoft
Release Date: TBA
The spiritual sequel to the very well-received indie tactical RPG Rainbow Moon comes this brand new title that has been built from the ground up to fix the problems that the original had with a lot of work put into the look and sound of the game. It will also feature a monster taming system a turn-based battle system that emphasizes combo attacks, and overall just a much deeper adventure that a bigger budget can bring.
Raven's Cry (PC/PS4/PS3/X360)
Developed by: Reality Pump
Release Date: January 30th
The developers of Two Worlds II have a new RPG that they have been working on. Set in the 18th century Caribbean, the pirate Christopher Raven is out for revenge after his parents were killed. Expect open-ended gameplay, plenty of cinematics, ship-on-ship combat, and even a reputation and crew morale system.
Rebel Galaxy (PC/PS4)
Developed by: Double Damage Games
Release Date: TBA
The pedigree behind this game is outstanding. You have Eric Schaefer who co-founded Blizzard North and helped to create the Diablo series, and you have Travis Baldree, who created Fate and Mythos. Together, they founded Runic Games, the developer behind the Torchlight series. Last year, they left the company in order to help make Rebel Galaxy, a gritty space action title where the focus is on giant dreadnaught-sized spaceships engaged in conflict that will be full of setpiece events. When not in battle, you're out in space exploring the far reaches of the universe and making a name for yourself by engaging with different factions who are themselves always in a constant tug-of-war, and upgrading your ship to tailor it towards doing basically anything you want to do. Where the RPG elements come in is the randomly-generated galaxy and the untold amount of loot you will be able to obtain, creating an endless sandbox to explore.
Red Goddess (PC/Mac/Linux/PS4/Vita/WiiU)
Developed by: Yanim Studio
Release Date: March
A sidescrolling adventure title with 2.5D graphics, this game has a great look to it with bright and colorful visuals that does some wonderful things with lighting and shadows. The protagonist Divine is able to change into different personalities each embodying a different element - Rage, who can control fire, and Fear, who wields the power of ice, all three of which will play a role in whatever situation the player finds themselves in. There are a multitude of powers to unlock to better either of these forms.
It's kind of funny how many of these games I have posted on this list were almost unsuccessful with their Kickstarter campaigns. Red Goddess actually failed on their first, went back to the drawing board, came back, and was able to clear their goal by the healthy margin. Best of luck to this team with what looks to be an amazing game.
Salt & Sanctuary (PS4/Vita)
Developed by: Ska Studios
Release Date: TBA
From the developers behind The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai and Charlie Murder comes a brutal RPG in the same vein of Dark Souls that means to capture that same feel and sense of control along with that same sense of satisfaction. It has a cool look to it sure to draw people in with its mixture of 2D and 3D visuals. Expect to die just as much as you’d expect to in this style of genre.
SanctuaryRPG Black Edition (PC)
Developed by: Black Shell Games
Release Date: TBA
A first-person roguelike dungeon crawler that fuses JRPG elements, the large and expansive game is rendered entirely in ASCII like the original Wizardry titles. While there is a free version currently available, the developers are working on a Black Edition that will contain event more content and a completely overhauled assets.
Satellite Reign (PC/Mac/Linux)
Developed by: 5 Lives Studios
Release Date: First Half
I have always been a pretty big fan of the cyberpunk theme since I fell in love with Akira and Ghost in the Shell back in the day. Now, here we have a new RPG from the creator of Syndicate Wars producing what is a spiritual successor. Satellite Reigns is set in a world just dripping in neon, a metropolis filled with emergent gameplay all in real-time, with up to four party members that take on the role of soldier, support, infiltrator, and hacker. I am digging the look and the setting, and you can check it out for yourself as it’s currently in Steam Early Access.
Serpent in the Staglands (PC/Mac/Linux)
Developed by: Whalenaut Studios
Release Date: Q1
A real-time, isometric RPG you are entrusted in setting your own path in this story open to progression and exploration in a Transylvanian-style landscape. There is good amount of customization to be had when creating your main character and plenty of monsters to fight in battle which is handled in real-time with the ability to pause time in order to strategize. Don’t expect any hand-holding in this Computer RPG throwback.
Shiness (PC/Mac/Linux/PS4/XBO)
Developed by: Ynnis Interactive
Release Date: TBA
Coming from seemingly out of nowhere and blowing people away with its love letter to Japanese RPGs, French studio Ynnis Interactive aims to pull the best elements from pioneers in the genre. You control a band of five party members who are exploring the Sky Islands of Mahera, taking on quests that may take its toll on your player reputation. The combat is inspired by shounen anime like Dragonball Z, letting you create a combination of martial-based attacks and magic.
Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues (PC/Mac/Linux)
Developed by: Portalarium
Release Date: TBA
The creator of Ultima, Richard Garriott, has a new game coming out this year that harkens back to his early years. Written by Tracy Hickman, author of the Dragonlance series of books, the focus here is on exploration: players will be able to travel a giant world teeming with activity and opportunity mapping out their own experience, whether that is settling down in their gigantic castles, or venture out and creating their own story that affects the world inside the game. Fans of Ultima Online will find plenty to enjoy here.
Sid Meier's Starships (PC/Mac/Mobile)
Developed by: Firaxis
Release Date: Q1
While Sid Meier has broached the idea of making a game where you aim for the stars with Civilization: Beyond Earth and Alpha Centauri, Starships seems to take things much farther with a turn-based strategy game where you the player takes control of a fleet of space-faring ships while they explore the galaxy. There will be a lot in terms of ship customization everywhere from cosmetic to significant modifications, with the primary focus having you visiting different planets and completing missions along the way.
Silence: The Whispered World II (PC/Mac/PS4/XBO)
Developed by: Daedalic Entertainment
Release Date: Early
Being a pretty big fan of The Whispered World (after I got over the unusual voice acting), Silence: The Whispered World II goes in a different direction by making the world and its characters 3D, but ovrelaying that with a 2D hand-drawn art stle. The main character this time is Noah, a 16-year old boy, and Renie, his six-year old sister, both of whom have their own unique abilities that the players will use during the game. This is one beautiful-looking title.
Skyforge (PC)
Developed by: Allods Team, Obsidian Entertainment
Release Date: TBA
Currently in closed beta, this MMORPG is already gaining a lot of traction simply for the pedigree of the developers behind its creation. Some of the more exciting features are the customizable class systems, the amount of detail that the high-tech environments appear to have, the entertaining look to the combat, with plenty of substance to back it up.
Skytorn (PC/Mac/Linux/PS4)
Developed by: Noel Berry
Release Date: TBA
I had a chance to play this game at Playstation Experience back in early December, and had a lot of fun with this exciting adventure title that plays a little like Terraria-meets-SteamWorld Dig. Your primary tool is a shovel that can be used to break through terrain and fight off monsters as you explore the depths of islands that float in the sky where the rest of mankind struggles to survive. The shovel itself can be enchanted with different elements that will effect its use. Every time you play, there will be a new sky island to explore and excavate, and RPG elements such as new abilities, power-ups, and other progression mechanics. I definitely recommend keeping a close eye on this one.
Song of the Myrne: What Lies Beneath (PC/Mac/Linux)
Developed by: Beldarak Games
Release Date: January 13th
A simple and fun top-down RPG with a pixelated design with plenty of quests to obtain, magic to learn, and real-time combat to get absorbed in, all supplemented by a deep crafting system.
Soul Saga: Episode 1 (PC/Mac/Linux/PS4/Vita/WiiU)
Developed by: Disastercake
Release Date: TBA
Described as a “love letter to JRPG classics from the Playstation era”, the player takes on the role of Mithos who endeavors to become the greatest Guild Master that ever lived. While originally using chibi-like character models, lately the models have been redesigned to have more normal features which caused some controversy among its investors as you can imagine. The game will also feature full voice acting, airship battles, and traditional turn-based combat.
Starcrawlers (PC/Mac/Linux)
Developed by: Juggarnaut Games
Release Date: TBA
A first-person, sci-fi dungeon crawler with a narrative AI that creates procedurally generated missions and dungeons that are created based on the story of the mission that you are on, changing the flow of story events based on the make-up of your party and the decisions you make. The game mixes strategy RPG elements where you and your crew of Crawlers have customizable and modifiable class abilities. This is all backed by a soundtrack composed by Ben Prunty of FTL fame.
Shadowrun: Hong Kong (PC/Mac/Linux)
Developed by: Harebrained Schemes
Release Date: August
When Shadowrun Returns was released last year, it made waves as one of the best put together games to come along in a while from an independent studio after developer Harebrained Schemes was able to successfully revitalize the cyberpunk world of Shadowrun. Now the team has returnd to Kickstarter and have already blown past their goal of funding a new campaign in the same universe, this time set in the futuristic city of Hong Kong. Filled with triads and other gangs, the game will explore the dynamics of social status, reputation, and prestige, all the while dealing with a supernatural threat.
SteamWorld Heist (PC/Mac/Linux/PS4/Vita/XBO/WiiU/3DS)
Developed by: Image & Form Games
Release Date: Spring
A sequel to the well-made SteamWorld Dig, this one goes in a different direction by creating a turn-based strategy game that takes place some time after the events of the original. The goal of the game is to launch heists from the ship you pilot on to enemy vassals in order to steal their resources and basically survive out in space.
Steins;Gate (PS3/Vita)
Developed by: 5pb. and Nitroplus
Release Date: TBA
The critically acclaimed visual novel will find its way to consoles this year after being isolated on the PC up until now here in the West. Known for its compelling writing and dramatic moments, the story follows a group of students who have discovered that they are able to change events in the past via text messages. Things soon start to spiral out of control as they get wrapped up in something much larger than they were aware of, with the text messages becoming a central game mechanic that changes the outcome of the story and its multiple endings.
Story of Seasons (3DS)
Developed by: Marvelous AQL
Release Date: TBA
The latest in the Harvest Moon series (that foregoes the Harvest Moon name due to Natsume's trademark), Story of Seasons gives players the opportunity to create their characters. The big focus on Story of Seasons is the social aspect. Aside from the main character, there are three other farmers that you will be able to interact with, visiting their farms and taking a look inside their homes. Players will be able to go to other people's farms through WiFi and see what they are doing and what they are growing. Progression goes through a weekly cycle; you and the other three farmers are basically racing against one another to collect the highest number of crops to sell for the largest amount of money.
Sui Generis (PC/Mac)
Developed by: Bare Mettle Games
Release Date: TBA
This Action RPG has amazed people with its high-fidelity physics and impressive focus on battles that truly matter with its robust combat system and fully interactive environment. Like the classic Western RPGs of old, players will be able to craft their own fully customizable character the way they want with a responsive world with complex characters that react to whatever happens around them. While it's up in the air whether we will see the game this year, a playable alpha was out in 2014, so things are looking fairly good.
Sunless Sea (PC/Mac)
Developed by: Failbetter Games
Release Date: February 6th
Sunless Sea is set in the same world as the excellent browser-based adventure series Fallen London. Focusing on the elements of exploration and survival, players will create their own customized steamships and set off with a crew into the beyond. Each crew member has their own deep story to tell, with more to uncover as the game goes on. The map will change every time you play, promising a wide, unexplored world to uncover. Sunless Sea is currently available on Steam Early Access but will have its proper release in a little over a week.
Super Chibi Knight (PC/Mac/Linux)
Developed by: PestoForce
Release Date: First Half
An action adventure RPG made by a father and daughter team that is intentionally presented in a fairly simple fashion in order to make it accessible to someone of any age or gender. The cute and colorful visuals works well with the Legend of Zelda style gameplay meant to act as a throwback to the classics of the genre.
Sword Art Online: Lost Song
Developed by: Artdink
Release Date: TBA
After becoming a best-seller on the Vita last year in North America, it’s a far-away conclusion that we will be seeing a localization for the latest title based on the popular anime franchise especially considering the producer wanted to make up for the questionable English translation (though I’d argue that was part of its appeal) and it has already been announced to be coming to Asia in English just like SAO: Hollow Fragment was this Spring, so that makes it all the more inevitable..Lost Song will be telling a new original story set inside the world of ALfheim Online set after the events of the Fairy Dance arc seen in the show. Players will be able to control characters other than Kirito, and four-player online multiplayer will be available for the first time.
Check back tomorrow for fifth and final day of coverage!