Recently, I finished watching the anime adaptations of Steins;Gate and Steins;Gate 0. Both series are excellent, and even if you haven’t played any of the Science Adventure visual novel series, like me, I highly recommend you give them a watch. I mean, it’s a well-written sci-fi time travel drama with a fantastic cast of characters, so what’s not to love?
Anyway, this got me thinking about video game adaptations in general. Let’s be honest; most of them aren’t very good. However, there are a particular few that really nail their source material and succeed at making something that is truly worth watching.
Personally, the adaptations that I believe really shine are the Pokémon anime, which has been running for 25 years at this point, The Cuphead Show, and, of course, Steins;Gate. I think one of the key factors to all of these shows’ success is that you can watch all of them without any knowledge of their source material and still have a great time. At the end of the day, you’re probably going to get more enjoyment from them if you already have a connection to the games they’re based on, but it’s by no means necessary. Especially in the case of Pokémon. which is so ingrained in pop culture at this point.
I find it slightly odd that for a medium so renowned for its rich storytelling, very few RPGs other than Pokémon have received adaptations. I do believe there are some in the works such as NieR: Automata, Fallout, and Dragon Age, but there are plenty of others that I think would be perfect for our TV screens. Just off the top of my head, Earthbound could make for a fantastic show.
I’d be interested to know what you guys think. Perhaps there’s a particular franchise you’d like to see adapted? Let me know down in the comment section below.
Anyways, enough talking and lets take a look at the RPGs coming this week.
Dusk Diver 2 – August 30th (PS5, PS4, Switch)
First up this week we have Dusk Diver 2! This action RPG is the second game in the Dusk Diver series and continues the story following the Youshanding incident. Once again, players will step into the shoes of Yang Yumo and take on Chaos Beasts that have begun to reappear in the streets.
This time, however, players won’t be limited to the Ximending district and will instead be able to experience Dusk Diver‘s fast-paced beat-em-up combat all across Taipei City.
Aesthetically, Dusk Diver 2 is right up my alley, but I’m not so sure about the beat-em-up style combat. Learning lots of combos genuinely isn’t something I enjoy, so perhaps this one isn’t for me. What can I say; I’m usually more of a turn-based RPG kind of guy.
The game’s already out on Steam in the West, but August 30th marks its big console release date. You’ll want to check out our review to learn more (we think it’s quite solid).
Immortality – August 30th (XSX, XB1, Windows, iOS, Android)
Immortality is the latest game from Sam Barlow. For those of you that don’t know, Sam is the creative mind behind Her Story and Telling Lies. With games like that in his portfolio, it’s no surprise that there seems to be a lot of buzz online about this one.
Players will experience the story of Marissa Marcel, a film star who has mysteriously disappeared. Before that, Marissa starred in three movies that never saw the light of day, but throughout this interactive story players will get to experience all three of the lost films of Marissa Marcel.
Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten around to playing either Her Story or Telling Lies, but I’ve only ever heard good things about them like from our review of the former. Assuming Immortality follows suit, it seems we’re in for yet another thrilling entry in the interactive film genre.
Prinny Presents NIS Classics Vol. 3 – August 30th (Switch, Windows)
NIS America continue their fantastic run of bringing classic titles to modern consoles with Prinny Presents NIS Classics Vol. 3! This time we’re getting La Pucelle: Ragnarok and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, which I’ve been told are two fantastic strategy RPGs.
It’s particularly great to see that La Pucelle: Ragnarok has made it into the collection, as this will be the title’s North America debut. It’s been 13 years since the title (a port of La Pucelle: Tactics, which we did get) was originally released in Japan on the PlayStation Portable, so its Western release is perhaps a little late. But hey, we had to wait 28 years for LIVE A LIVE, so let’s not be too hard on NIS America here.
Growing up, I never really got into strategy games, so had these games been available to me at the time I doubt I would’ve even considered picking them up. In the last couple of years, however, I’m happy to say I’ve really found my footing with the genre and am always on the lookout for new SRPGs. Prinny Presents NIS Classics Vol. 3 is a collection I’ve had my eye on since NISA announced it back in March, and I’m really looking forward to its release later this week!
If you need primers on both games in the collection, peep our La Pucelle and Rhapsody reviews.
Gerda: A Flame in Winter – September 1st (Switch, Windows)
Gerda: A Flame in Winter is a narrative adventure game set during World War II. The title is based off of a true story and tells the tale of Gerda, a nurse who returns home one day to find her husband has been arrested by the Gestapo.
Gerda’s husband, Anders, leaves behind important documents regarding the resistance, vital to the survival of many Danish and German lives. As a player, you’ll decide where you go, how you act, and who you should trust. Every decision will be critical and the choices you make will determine how Gerda’s story unfolds.
When we think of World War II, I think our minds naturally go to invasions and to soldiers fighting on the frontlines. Of course, these men made huge sacrifices for their countries and it’s important to recognize that. However, it’s clear that many civilians also fought just as hard yet don’t receive the same recognition. Personally, I think it’s awesome that stories like the one Gerda‘s based on are finally being shared.
Ooblets (Exiting Early Access) – September 1st (XB1, Switch, Windows)
Ooblets has been out on Xbox and PC via the Epic Games Store for some time now, but this week it finally leaves Early Access and makes its debut on the Nintendo Switch.
Ooblets is a weird and wacky slice-of-life farming and town simulation game mixed with creature collecting elements that has you “befriend townsfolk, grow ooblets, and have dance-offs.” Hmm, so essentially Stardew Valley meets Pokémon. I could really lose my life to this one.
I’ve seen the quirky creatures of Ooblets pop up all over the place in the last few months. From Twitter to indie showcases, people can’t seem to get enough of them!
Stardew Valley has already stolen enough of my life, so I don’t think I’ll be allowing myself to pick this one up. The title already has its fans though, and the fact that it’s coming to Switch means it becomes accessible to a whole new audience. I’m sure the game will find even more success than it already has when it leaves Early Access later this week.
Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling Into Darkness – September 2nd (PS4, Switch, Windows)
Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling Into Darkness is the final (new) RPG on this week’s list. It’s an action RPG based off of Akihito Tsukushi’s popular manga and anime series. The game follows the same story as the anime, but this time the player will be in Riko’s shoes and experience her harrowing adventure on a more personal level than ever before.
For those of you perhaps a little worried about the game staying true to the source material, fear not! Spike Chunsoft has already stated that the title was supervised by Tsukushi, and the cast of the anime will reprise their roles for fully voiced event scenes.
Kind of ironic how I started this column talking about video games being adapted into films and series, and here we are talking about the complete opposite. Funny how things work out. Made in Abyss is actually on my anime-to-watch list, so perhaps I’ll give the game a go once I get around to watching the show.
Also Coming This Week
Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis – August 31st (PS4)
Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis, a complete overhaul of the original PSO2, has been available on PC and Xbox consoles since June last year. This week, fans of the series who own a PS4 or PS5 will finally get the chance to experience the MMORPG all over again when it hits the platform on Wednesday. If you’d like a little more information on the title and its history, make sure to check out PS Blog’s in-depth post!
ANNO: Mutationem – September 1st (Switch)
Anno: Mutationem is a cyberpunk action-adventure game with RPG elements developed by ThinkingStars that released on PlayStation and PC back in March. The title features the rather unique gimmick of switching between 2D and 3D perspectives, which I’m sure leads to some interesting gameplay moments!
If you’re interested in picking the game up when it hits the Switch later this week, make sure to read RPGFan’s review written by Audra Bowling.
There you have it, all the RPGs coming this week! I’m definitely considering picking up Prinny Presents NIS Classics Vol. 3, but we’ll have to see about that one because uni is on the horizon and I’m trying to keep my spending down. Are there any titles that have caught your eye this week, or will your wallet survive the week unscathed? Let us know in the comments below.
As always, thank you for supporting RPGFan and have a great week!
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